


Engineering Fire and Rain

by mylevelance



Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: Aang is a Procrastination Bender, Alternate Universe - College/University, Azula is a Business Major, Engineering Majors, F/F, F/M, Fluff and Humor, Gaang Group Chat, Katara Just Wants Everyone to Pass, M/M, Shy Zuko, Slow Burn, Sokka's Crocs - Freeform, idiots to lovers, ultimate frisbee
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-24
Updated: 2020-08-28
Packaged: 2021-03-05 02:09:02
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 12
Words: 32,737
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25486768
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mylevelance/pseuds/mylevelance
Summary: Sokka is a busy guy. Between water engineering labs, ultimate frisbee with the gaang, and getting yelled at by Katara for wearing crocs in the snow, he doesn't have time to look around that much. So when he sees, really sees, Zuko for the first time, he doesn't want to let this one slip away.Zuko only wants to get through his computer engineering degree as fast as possible to escape his overbearing family. But when the loud guy from the lecture hall comes barging into his life, he starts to want something more for himself.Featuring a groupchat, a fidget spinner, and the campus raccoon.
Relationships: Aang/Katara (Avatar), Background Mai/Ty Lee, Sokka/Zuko (Avatar)
Comments: 158
Kudos: 999





	1. ◉_◉

**Author's Note:**

> Hey!
> 
> This is my first zukka fic and its been a while I've seen the series, but it was really fun to write. I'm planning on uploading on a weekly basis.  
> Criticism will only be accepted in meme format, but please feel free to drop a comment!
> 
> Find me @mylevelance on the tweetor where I don't post any related content.
> 
> Toodles!

Sokka was regretting his major. The timer was running down on the online quiz he was taking in the packed campus library. Professor Bumi was absolutely wild, assigning a quiz the week before midterms. Sokka scrolled frantically through the engineering facebook forum. There! Someone named Blue always posted the examples from class explaining them step by step way better than the actual prof.  


Sokka copied the formulas then applied it to the questions. His fingers flew over the calculator buttons then he hit the Submit button with thirty seconds to spare.  


He had really expected water resource engineering to be more about building dams and going canoeing instead of doing theoretical equations until his brain leaked out his ears. At least he didn’t have to learn genetics like his sister Katara in biomedical engineering.  


He leaned back in his chair, mentally calculated what he needed to get on the midterm to pass Mechanics II. The number was getting higher with every assignment he submitted.

**Gaang**  


**Snoozles:** if I drop out, hypothetically, could I still be on the ult team?  


**Sugar Queen:** ARE YOU DROPPING OUT??  


**Snoozles:** like no… but hypothetically... I won’t fail mech 2 if I drop out now  


**Twinkletoes:** we could just pretend ur taking art history or smth!  


**Sugar Queen:** SOKKA YOU CAN’T DROP OUT  


**Melon Lorde:** do a flip  


**Wareeyore:** a KICKflip  


**Sugar Queen:** Toph! Suki! Don’t encourage him!  


**Twinkletoes:** ◉_◉  


**Snoozles:** see me there on the open road… wind in my hair… oblivious to newton’s laws  


**Melone Lorde:** *trips on his crocs*  


**Wareeyore:** *faceplants*  


**Twinkletoes:** ◉_◉  


**Snoozles:** I’LL HAVE YOU KNOW CROCS ARE PRACTICAL ALL WEATHER FOOTWEAR  


**Wareeyore:** okay walk through a snowdrift  


**Sugar Queen:**...  


**Sugar Queen:** ….he has winter crocs…  


**Twinkletoes:** ◉_◉  


**Snoozles:** aang what are you even doing rn?  


**Twinkletoes:** im learning how to headstand while my 3d models print!  


**Sugar Queen:** DO NOT KICK THE 3D PRINTER  


**Snoozles:** ◉_◉

“Hey, can I sit here?” a voice pulled Sokka out of his phone. Someone stood on the other side of the empty study table. It was a guy with inky black hair hanging over his eyes wearing a black t-shirt even though it was like twelve degrees outside. Not that Sokka could talk, he wore shorts until it was twenty below.  


A rough red scar cut across his cheek, just peeking out from under his hair. Sokka recognized him as the guy who sat in the very front row of Mechanics II. 

On the first day of class they had made eye contact as Sokka went to sit with his friends. Sokka had thought he was kinda cute in an emo scene kid kind of way. Sokka had looked at him for a beat too long on that first day so he smiled and waved, but My Chemical Romance had glared at him coldly. Sokka hadn’t tried to talk to him after that, placing him in the “hot but prickly” category.  


“Nah bro, I’m saving it as a memorial for my GPA,” Sokka said, flashing his winning grin.  


The other guy stared at him, unsmiling. Sokka noticed his eyes were a light amber kind of colour.  


Sokka laughed a bit awkwardly as the silence stretched, “Nah bro I’m just messing with you, you can sit.”  


The guy sat down hesitantly and pulled out the largest laptop Sokka had ever seen.  


“You gonna hack the mainframe right now?” Sokka said, glancing side to side conspicuously.  


“Yeah, just tell me the name of your childhood pet and your favourite sport’s team,” the guy deadpanned. Sokka let out a surprised laugh that sounded like a squawk.  


“I’m Sokka, you might need that to hack my bank account.”  


The guy looked up from his massive laptop. He still looked unimpressed, but Sokka thought he saw his lips twitch.  


“Zuko.”  


With that, he pulled a pair of black headphones over his ears and pointedly looked at his laptop. So much for small talk.  


Usually, Sokka would be saving the table for his friends, but today they were all busy. Katara had already left for a lab. Aang would not be found studying for the midterm until the night before. Toph and Suki were at the gym. Sokka wanted to go with them, but he really needed to get that quiz out of the way and get some actual work done before the weekend.  


He took a little break to scroll through his phone before he started the next chunk of practice questions.

“Hey,” the guy across from him said. Sokka’s quick study break had stretched into a 20 minute break. “Can you watch my stuff while I go to the bathroom?”  


“Yeah, sure man. Hey, mention my name, you’ll get a good seat,” Sokka said with a cheesy wink. The guy stared at him for a beat then pushed up from the table.

**Gaang**

**Snoozles:** say, should i look through the stuff of the hot guy at my study table to see if he’s a serial killer while he’s in the bathroom?  


**Melon Lorde:** obvi, check for brony merch too  


**Wareeyore:** what hot guy? what hot guy???  


**Snoozles:** he’s in mech 2, kinda emo, sits at the front  


**Twinkletoes:** ಠ_ಠ  


**Melon Lorde:** i can’t ducking read those with text to speech moron  


**Wareeyore:** “suspicious face”  


**Melon Lorde:** ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)  


**Melon Lorde:** found an app, do continue with the trainwreck  


**Sugar Queen:** Do you mean Zuko, with the scar?  


**Twinkletoes:** ಠ_ಠ  


**Snoozles:** like, ya  


**Snoozles:** i called him bro so he would know im flirting  


**Wareeyore:** oh my god smh  


**Snoozles:** wait wait he came back

“Hey man, what are you studying?” Sokka said as Zuko sat down. Zuko paused before he put on his headphones.  


“Now or in general?”  


“Both, all of it,” he sounded too eager, “...dude.”  


“I’m in computer engineering but right now I’m doing notes for mechanics,” Zuko said.  


“That class is brutal huh? How’d you do on the quiz?” Sokka asked, proud of himself for drawing some non-feral conversation out of Zuko. The shadow of a cocky grin formed on Zuko’s lips. Sokka eyes got stuck there for a second.  


“Hundred.”  


“You’re shitting me.”  


“No.”  


Sokka had literally never heard of anybody getting over eighty on any of the first year assignments. Maybe except for Aang, but he was a wiz kid who skipped like two grades in high school. Zuko put on his headphones and Sokka went back to work.  


Sokka went over practice problems from his hydraulics course until his stomach grumbled. In his rush to get a good spot in the library, he had forgotten to pack lunch. He rented an apartment with Katara, but she refused to make him lunch, no matter how much he pestered her.  


He packed books and laptop slowly, weirdly not wanting to leave the silent study table. He couldn't just sit there and stare at Zuko for the rest of the day. Eventually, he stood and waved. Zuko didn’t look up, but his neck looked a bit red. Sokka shrugged and swung his backpack onto his shoulder. As he left the library, his phone buzzed with a notification: "Blue has posted in Engineering 2020 forum".

*********

Zuko spent the weekend with his uncle Iroh in town, using his upcoming midterms as an excuse. His family lived an hour away from the university on their sprawling property, more like a golf course than a home. His father had simply texted “fine" when Zuko had asked to stay with his uncle.  


He really did get a lot done sitting at one of the tables in the corner of the Jasmine Dragon tea shop his uncle ran. He breezed through his coding assignment, only getting stuck with a few hard to spot bugs. His uncle brought him different tea blends and laughed at Zuko’s expression when they were too bitter or strangely salty.  


Computer engineering had been his dream since he was little and learned about how the first computer was made. He wanted to be like that, make a difference, change someone’s life for the better. He had to fight hard to get his father to let him study something other than business. As a result, his father refused to pay for residence so Zuko would stay under his thumb.  


His sister was in business at the same university. She went there because it was the university their father, Ozai, had graduated from. Unlike him, she picked that university by choice, not by financial necessity. Selfishly, Zuko was glad she would be taking over the family business. He’d graduate in three short years and be able to get independent. Azula would be there, after he escaped to a new town, to do all the things he was supposed to do as the eldest son. It still hurt to be the family screw up sometimes. He wouldn't be that soon, he'd be his own person, not just his family name. Just. Three more short years.  


Uncle Iroh never said anything apathetic or demeaning like Ozai did to "motivate" Zuko. Maybe Iroh talked in riddles, but they were always some perseverance or kindness bullshit.  


His phone lit up with a text. It was from Mai, one of the only girls in computer engineering. Also one of his only friends in his major. They had bonded by silently walking in the back of their group during orientation on the first day.

**Mai:** did you see the mech project groups?  


**Zuko:** no  


**Mai:** they just posted, im with somebody named Toph

Zuko went onto the course website and clicked on the link for project partners. He’d honestly forgotten about it with the midterm coming up. Instead of a final exam there was a final project for the mechanics course. He hated group work but at least in university, so far, most of the other students wanted to get a good grade.  


He found the name beside his and groaned.

**Zuko:** im with sokka  


**Mai:** isn’t that the guy who talks really loud in class  


**Zuko:** yeah  


**Mai:** f

He wished for any other partner. Anyone but the handsome guy who was so weirded out by Zuko’s scar that he was always staring at it whenever Zuko turned around in the lecture hall. It made his heart beat all funny and his ears get warm.  


He was used to people staring at his scar. It was ugly and huge and impossible to hide even with makeup. He had stopped applying foundation after his father caught him in high school and said real men don’t hide under girly things. Dear old dad, always ready with the fatherly advice.  


He was used to people staring and he got used to being standoffish until they didn’t look at him anymore. That’s why Sokka’s friendliness at the library was so unsettling. Sokka was tall and good looking and likeable. Zuko didn’t trust his playful smile for a minute.  


“Something troubling you nephew?” his uncle stood at the side of the table with a towel over his shoulder and two empty teacups on a tray.  


“Yeah,” said Zuko. If he lied, his uncle would know it immediately. He didn't bother trying anymore.  


“Do you want to talk about it?”  


“No," Zuko said. He looked down at his hands resting on his keyboard.  


“Alright, I’m heading to the back, keep an eye on the door,” Iroh said gently. It was more of a suggestion than an order.  


Zuko helped out when he could. His uncle was always kind to him and Zuko could tell when he needed a hand. As it was, the small tea shop only had two customers who already had their drinks. 

Zuko went back to his work. It was difficult to focus though, scenarios of all the way the final project would go terrible swarming in his brain. Maybe Sokka wouldn't show up to any of the meetings and Zuko would have to do the whole thing alone. Maybe Sokka would try to talk to him and realize that Zuko wasn't very interesting past the scar on his face. Maybe it would be a disaster from start to finish and he'd fail the class and have to face his father. He turned up the volume in his headphones.


	2. Docs and Crocs

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Gaang check out a new tea shop. Zuko tries an advanced social strategy called apologizing.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Realized I never said, but all of the characters are in the same year at university, except like Uncle Iroh.  
> Aang skipped a grade in high school so he's a bit younger and Katara is only 9 months younger than Sokka.  
> Appa is a good boy.

**Gaang**  


**Snoozles:** what kind of jibbitz should I wear in my crocs for the game  


**Twinkletoes:** happy face (ﾉ◕ヮ◕)ﾉ*:･ﾟ✧  


**Melon Lorde:** poop emoji  


**Wareeyore:** frisbee  


**Sugar Queen:** Please don’t roll your ankle again, taping it last time made me late for  
my cell bio lab  


**Melon Lorde:** lol  


**Wareeyore:** who’d everyone get for the group projects, i got jet fml  


**Melon Lorde:** som1 named mai  


**Sugar Queen:** I’m with Aang  


**Twinkletoes:** (◕‿◕✿) yeah!  


**Snoozles:** zuko  


**Sugar Queen:** ...  


**Snoozles:** and what about it?  


**Sugar Queen:** Just… be careful  


**Snoozles:** wym?  


**Twinkletoes:** (¬_¬)  


**Sugar Queen:** He got Aang and I in trouble last semester for stealing his data in  
mech 1 and we didn’t even do that! We just got the same answers!  


**Snoozles:** i will guard my data with my life  


**Snoozles:** but also we’re partners for the project soooooooooo  


**Twinkletoes:** okay that’s fair!  


**Melon Lorde:** idiot sandwiches, we’re waiting for you, game starts in fifteen  


**Twinkletoes:** omw  


**Snoozles:** eggplant jibbitz it is  


**Sugar Queen:** Christ

They played against the english lit ultimate frisbee team. Sokka liked to think that his brilliant strategies were the reason the engineering team won so much. After all, he had invented the whistling frisbee which shrieked as it moved through the air so that Toph could hear where it was on the field.  


Okay, maybe the fact that Aang could jump like ten feet in the air to catch any bad throw helped. Okay, and maybe it was useful that Suki was so fast and Katara knew exactly where to stand. Okay, and mostly because Toph shoved the other team just before they caught the frisbee and never got penalties because the student refs couldn’t prove that it wasn’t an accident.  


But Sokka was willing to put on his delusion sunglasses and say that they crushed the english lit team because he was an excellent thrower and his team pulled off his plays perfectly.  


After the celebratory team chant, the entirety of the barbie girl song, Toph said she’d treat them to lunch. They had exhausted the campus food options by, like, the second week of first year, so they had to go a bit off campus to get some variety.  


“What’s this place called again?” Sokka asked, looking up the address on google maps. Toph found a place, but considering she couldn’t actually see where she was going, they needed a little help from the internet.  


“Jasmine Dragon, should be a tea shop feeling place, lots of plants,” Toph said, grinning as she said the word “feeling”. Her seeing eye dog, a bernese mountain dog named Appa, wagged his tail and drooled on the sidewalk.  


“Do they have food?” Aang asked. He rubbed a hand over his stomach as the group walked down the sidewalk. That kid could eat.  


“Yeah, I had a grilled cheese that was just,” Toph made the chef’s kiss motion. Sokka looked at the directions.  


“It should be right…” the sign just ahead was green and black, “Here!”  


The group piled into the small tea shop. There were tropical plants in every nook and cranny, even hanging from the ceiling. Sokka didn’t know what kind, he wasn’t much of a plants guy.  


There was one table with enough chairs for all of them. Sokka’s crocs squeaked on the tile floor.  


“Welcome to the Jasmine Dragon! Your server will be right with you,” an old man called from behind the bar at the back.  


“Okay! Thank you!” Aang yelled back. Katara blushed and covered her face with the menu.  


“So there are like two food options and fifty tea options…?” Suki gave Toph a side eye, which she obviously couldn’t see. Toph had an uncanny ability to know when someone was talking to her anyway.  


“What? The earl grey slaps,” Toph said unapologetically. Sokka didn’t care that much, as long as there was grilled cheese in his belly in the next twenty minutes.  


The door at the back of the shop swung open with a creak. In the doorway, holding a pad of paper, wearing a green Jasmine Dragon logo and a black apron, was Zuko. Sokka thought he looked kind of cute all in his retail gear.  


“Hey, man!” Sokka said, waving. Zuko’s eyes widened as he saw the table. He turned on his heel and went back into the kitchen. The door swung shut behind him.  


“Was that-?” asked Suki.  


“Yeah I think so,” said Katara.  


There was a dark look on Katara’s face that she usually reserved for useless TAs and people who tattled on their classmates. Uh oh, she must really have it out for Zuko. Aang didn’t look so bothered. His fidget spinner was a blur in his hands as he waited for everyone to finish with the menus.  


There was muffled yelling coming from the kitchen  


“So have any of you started studying?” Aang asked. Katara sputtered.  


“Yes! We made a study schedule together, Aang. Midterm review was supposed to start two weeks ago.”  


“Some of us live for the thrill of the cram,” Sokka said.  


“Yeah, Katara, and some of us are busy with real engineering,” said Toph. Sokka saw the moment the words registered and he could practically see steam coming out of Katara’s ears.  


“BIOMEDICAL ENGINEERING IS-”  


“Can I take your orders,” a bored voice cut under Katara’s rant. Sokka hadn’t noticed Zuko approach with the noise. He stood at the end of the table closest to Sokka and Suki. Sokka rushed to open his menu, mind blank from what he was supposed to order. The menu slapped open and knocked over the bowl of sugar cubes which scattered across the table.  


“Shit, sorry!” Sokka said. He started popping the sugar cubes into his mouth, he couldn’t put them back, right?  


He made eye contact with Suki. Her mouth was open in horror. Sokka shrugged crunching on the sugar, too late now.  


“Uhh, I’ll have the earl grey and the grilled cheese,” said Toph, unaware of the mess.  


“Same,” said Katara coldly. Sokka swallowed the lump of sugar.  


“Can I have ginger ale and grilled cheese?” asked Aang. Zuko stopped writing on the pad.  


“We don’t have ginger ale.”  


Aang’s shoulders slumped.  


“Okay, then can I have some water?”  


“Yeah,” said Zuko.  


“Jasmine green and grilled cheese,” said Suki. She was still watching Sokka warily, like he might start eating the napkins too. To be honest the sugar cubes weren't feeling too good.  


He noticed everyone was quiet waiting for him.  


“Uh, yeah, uh, can I get the same, thanks,” he stumbled over his words, barely restrained himself from saying ‘and your number’. Katara glared at him like she could tell he was thinking it. What? The guy looked good. The uniform fit well and his shoulders didn’t carry the slump they seemed to have around campus.  


“Cool,” Zuko said. He walked back to the kitchen. Sokka did not check out his ass. Okay he totally did, but he was really subtle about it.  


“Sokka are you serious right now?” Katara hissed across the table. He shrugged.  


“Are you going to tell me that he’s not fit?” Sokka hissed back.  


“But he’s a computer engineer!”  


“That could be kinda cool though, in like an Anonymous kind of way,” interjected Suki. Sokka gave her a crisp high-five without looking.  


“I just don’t want you to get hurt,” Katara said. She knew her sad expression looked exactly like their mother’s and Sokka was weak.  


“I do, I’m bored,” said Toph. Aang had produced another fidget spinner and he was trying to juggle them while keeping them spinning.  


The other customers in the shop sent their table dirty looks. It tended to happen wherever they went in town. Between Aang’s bald head, the hulking beast that was Appa, Sokka’s lime green crocs, and the general noise they emitted, they tended to get a lot of stares.  


The kitchen door creaked again. Sokka adjusted his topknot and prepared to be charming. It wasn’t Zuko. Instead, it was the old man who had been behind the bar. He carried four mini teapots easily in one hand, and a stack of cups in the other.  


“Here you are,” he passed them out quickly. Aang downed his water immediately.  


“Warms the heart to see a group of young people enjoying each other's company,” the man said,”Family you may be given, but friends you choose, remember that.”  


“Uh, thanks,” said Sokka. The man smiled and went back to the kitchen. The tea was really hot, but also flavourful.  


“So who’s this Jet guy that you’re doing the project with?” Aang asked Suki. Sokka and Suki shared a look. When they had briefly dated in first semester, Jet made it a point to come onto Suki during their physics labs even though it was obvious Suki wasn’t interested. Jet only left them alone when Sokka “accidentally” shot the rocket from their inertia lab at his forehead.  


“Massive jerkward, 0/10 recommend,” Sokka said. Suki sighed.  


“I’m gonna ask Bumi for a new partner tomorrow.”  


Toph snorted, “Good luck with that. I asked him for my grades back from our first assignment and he replied with a laughing crying emoji. Over email. That I couldn't read.”  


Aang looked puzzled, “He gave me an extension when I forgot the lab write up was due, he seems okay.”  


“Yeah, Aang, that’s because you look twelve, he can’t say no to a child,” Sokka said.  


“I do NOT look twelve! I’m seventeen! I’m a big boy!” Aang insisted, going red in the face and looking mostly at Katara.  


“Yeah, sure, tell that to your stuffed animals,” Toph said.  


“Hey! I told you that in confidence!”

*************

Zuko couldn’t do this. He sat on the metal countertop in the tiny kitchen watching the grilled cheeses fry. He couldn’t do this.  
To go out and hear them laughing at him after spending all morning getting yelled at on the phone by his father. Last night it had been "fine (period)" that he was staying with Iroh to be closer to campus for the weekend, but this morning it was all "you're abandoning your family, Zuko" and "you're letting me down, Zuko". It was just too much.  


He agreed to help out Iroh that morning because his regular employee, Jin, had called in sick. Now he was considering bolting out the side door.  


“Are you going to stay in here all day?” his uncle asked. Zuko hit his boots on the side of the counter, making a satisfying boom boom.  


“I think so,” said Zuko.  


“Those kids seemed like a fun group, didn’t you say they’re in your classes?”  


Zuko ran his hand over his face, avoiding the rough patch of his scar.  


“They hate me.”  


“And why would you say that? I saw that boy wave and say hello, he seemed friendly,” Iroh said. Zuko flipped the grilled cheeses. It was good that they didn’t have a complicated food menu, he was no chef.  


“I got two of them in trouble for something they didn’t do. I didn’t find that out until after though.”  


“Were you trying to hurt them or were you trying to do the right thing?”  


Zuko looked down at his boots on the kitchen floor. He had been so angry that they always got praise from the professor even though he was doing everything just as well. When Aang had handed him back his lab workbook after he dropped it, he was sure they had stolen his data.  


“I was jealous, I guess,” he finally said. Iroh put his hand on Zuko’s shoulder. Zuko didn’t shrug it off like he would have when he was younger.  


“Have you apologized? People can be generous in forgiveness.”  


“No, I never did,” Zuko said. The idea was so mortifying it made him shiver. Iroh plated the grilled cheeses and picked up three of the plates, leaving two.  


“Then you know what the right thing is.”  


Iroh pushed out to the seating area. Leaving Zuko with the sandwiches and a choice. After a moment of considering the side door, he squared his shoulders and picked up the plates.  


The afternoon light bathed the shop in gold and green. Iroh was chatting with a few of the other customers, having already delivered the food. Zuko walked slowly, not necessarily dragging his feet, but also not walking with purpose.  


That group had always seemed an odd mix to him. They were all in different majors and they seemed to bicker constantly. There was the bald wiz kid, the tough girl with the dog, the goody two-shoes, the one who seemed too laid back for engineering, and the frat boy who wore shorts year-round. Zuko stopped his train of thought there, thinking about Sokka’s thighs was not a place he needed to go right now. He didn’t actually dislike them at all. He just couldn’t help but compare himself with his one friend and zero social skills.  


The conversation stopped when he reached the table. That wasn’t uncomfortable at all. He passed the plates to Sokka and the girl across from him. He wondered if they were dating. They were both good looking and outgoing. It would make sense.  


He was still standing at the table after he put the plates down.  


Right.  


“Um, Aang, and Katara,” Aang looked up from devouring his food, surprised, Katara glared. Zuko felt he probably deserved that, “I just wanted to say I’m sorry for what happened last semester,” he racked his brain for the other part that comes after an apology, “I was totally out of line and you guys didn’t deserve that.”  


Zuko felt his face burning and he ducked his head, clutching the sides of his apron.  


“No worries, Zuko, it’s all good,” said Aang cheerfully.  


“It’s not all good!” exclaimed Katara.  


“It’s mostly good?” said Aang.  


Zuko ducked his head again. At a loss for a reply to that, he mumbled, “Enjoy your food,” and walked back to the kitchen.  


Just before he pushed through the door, a hand wrapped around his and yanked him into the alcove in front of the bathroom. He was about to slap the hand away, but then...  


Sokka’s eyes were icy blue up close. And his cheekbones were wow. And he was looking at Zuko. And he was holding his hand.  


Zuko.exe not found.  


After he returned from blacking out for a second, he realized Sokka had let go of his hand.  


“...and Katara didn’t forgive me for like three months after I swiped her dunkaroos so I really wouldn’t sweat it,” Sokka laughed as he spoke.  


“Okay,” said Zuko uncertainly.  


“Oh and hey man, did you see we’re partners for the mech project? I’ve got so many ideas, it’s gonna be awesome,” Sokka said. He looked off into space like he could see the ideas in the air.  


“Cool,” said Zuko. He felt like he had whiplash from this conversation. Sokka’s smile widened.  


“Hey, let me give you my number, you know, for the project,” Sokka said. He winked as he said it and held out his hand for Zuko’s phone. Was he… flirting? No, Zuko was just reading into things.  


He fished out his phone and opened a new contact. Sokka’s tongue stuck out the side of his mouth as he concentrated. Zuko quickly looked down at the floor. His black boots looked so plain across from Sokka’s bright green crocs. Were those…. eggplants…?  


“There!” Sokka handed back the phone.  


“Yo Snoozles, I’m gonna eat your grilled cheese in like five seconds!” Toph yelled across the shop. Zuko winced a bit. People usually came to the Jasmine Dragon for a peaceful tea drinking experience.  


“Gotta go, see you around, Zuko.”  


Zuko’s heart did not flutter when he heard his name. Because that would be really sad. He waved half heartedly and pushed back into the kitchen.  


“That seemed to go wonderfully,” Iroh said, a knowing smile on his face. Zuko hopped back up on the counter.  


“Yeah it went fine. You couldn’t pay me more to go back out though.”  


Iroh made a shocked expression, “I pay you?”  


His booming laugh made Zuko smile, just a little.  


A little while later, after the group had left, Zuko opened his phone, curious to see if Sokka had actually put in a number. He had done that, and a bit more.

**Sokka /╲/\╭( ͡° ͡° ͜ʖ ͡° ͡°)╮/\╱\**

**Zuko:** Hello extraordinary project partner, it is I, your faithful computer hacker  


**Sokka /╲/\╭( ͡° ͡° ͜ʖ ͡° ͡°)╮/\╱\:** why hello faithful computer hacker, please use your  
powers for good

Zuko laughed out loud. Really. In real life. The bar was apparently on the floor.

**Zuko** changed **Sokka /╲/\╭( ͡° ͡° ͜ʖ ͡° ͡°)╮/\╱\ to Sokka from class**  


**Sokka from class:** c’mon there’s no way you know another Sokka  


**Zuko:** no  


**Zuko:** but im banning cursed images for the rest of the project  


**Sokka from class:** Sokka caught a bass, Sokka with a big phat juicy  


**Zuko:** *blocked reported my mom is calling your mom*  


**Sokka from class:** my mom’s dead so good luck with getting her on the line  


**Zuko:** mine 2  


**Sokka from class:** okay we are not bonding over dead parents i refuse  


**Zuko:** *blocked reported my uncle is calling your sister*  


**Sokka from class:** (ಥ﹏ಥ)  


**Sokka from class:** do NOT, she’s gonna ground me again  


**Zuko:** aren’t you guys like the same age  


**Sokka from class:** she’s actually younger but that does not take away her ability to  
detect bullshit and put parental controls on our wifi  


**Zuko:** put… parental… controls… on the wifi  


**Sokka from class:** please, let me live, im just a simple shark boy looking for his lava  
person  


**Zuko:** okay not gonna comment on how your little sister puts parental controls on  
your laptop in first year university  


**Sokka from class:** thank u  


**Sokka from class:** we should probs meet up for the project, huh  


**Sokka from class:** when r u free  


**Zuko:** ive got all the am lab slots so evenings are usually free  


**Sokka from class:** cool coll ccoool col  


**Zuko:** are u having a stroke  


**Sokka from class:** nah man, just pencilling in time for our evening group project work, u kno  


**Zuko:** no  


**Sokka from class:** aaahha how about wednesday after the mech midterm?  


**Sokka from class:** like 7?  


**Zuko:** sure  


**Sokka from class:** okie dokie artichokie  


**Zuko:** .


	3. Bro-Zoned

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Everyone writes a midterm. Sokka's love language is calling people dude.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This fic was inspired by 3am and Gasoline by Haim. Women in Music Pt. III rocked my world tbh.  
> I might not write a scene like that, but Washing Machine Heart by Mitski fits the vibe nicely.

Sokka banged his elbow on his bedside table reaching for his phone. The alarm was an autotuned crying baby. He hated it and so it worked. He turned it off and pushed himself up. 

He had studied until one in the morning with Toph and Aang the night before. At this point he wasn’t sure if cramming with those two was helping him or just really stressful. He saw the quadratic formula every time he closed his eyes. They weren’t even studying calculus. 

He saw on his calendar that he had a hydraulics lab and one class before the mechanics midterm. It would not be an easy day. 

It was a bit chilly outside, still early March. Sokka put on his lucky boxers, blue hoodie, grey shorts, and blue crocs. They were his exam shoes, his dad said they brought out his eyes. The calculator jibbitz also made him feel like if he stared into their croc-y abyss, he would find the answers. 

Breakfast was not his favourite meal of the day. He and Katara kept their apartment fridge stocked well enough, but he never had the time to cook something really tasty. Instead, he made a bland bowl of oatmeal then speed-walked to class. 

On the walk to school, he really should have been going over his pre-lab for hydraulics. His mind wandered as he nodded his head to his music.

He was going to see Zuko tonight. Their little moment, Sokka insisted on thinking of it as a moment, in the tea shop had been kind of nice. When Zuko had apologized to Aang and Katara he looked so unsure. Sokka just had to go make him feel okay. He hadn’t really wanted to do that for anyone since Yue, and that was only after they started dating. She was at shool halfway across the world now. Their breakup still hurt to think about sometimes.

Anyway, he was going to see Zuko tonight, and maybe it wasn’t a date, maybe it was for academic reasons, but that didn’t mean he couldn’t look forward to it. Sokka hopped up the stairs of the engineering building and into the day.

***********

Zuko was having a really bad day and it wasn’t even 8 am. He’d got into it with his dad in the morning. He honestly couldn’t keep straight, ha, the way he was supposed to act at home anymore. If he was open and honest, then he was weak and a failure. If he was closed off and guarded, he was secretive and disrespectful. The second one was easier to bear, so that’s who he defaulted to become under Ozai’s roof. 

Azula had peeled out of the driveway in the benz without him, leaving Zuko to walk to the bus stop and endure the ninety minute commute. 

On the way he sipped on the coffee he grabbed on the way out the door. The kitchen staff didn’t make it like Iroh’s. It was too sour and sweet like bile. Snowflakes drifted in the air. They melted as they hit the pavement. 

The campus was full of students rushing through the weather to their next test or lab or meeting. Zuko popped the side of his denim jacket against the wind. 

He had two coding classes and a bit of time to kill before the mech midterm. He wasn’t worried. He had posted a study guide as Blue on the engineering forum over the weekend so he had plenty of practice. He’d be lying if he said all the likes and kind comments on his posts didn’t make him feel more confident, in his studies at least. 

“Zuko, you ready?” Mai said flatly, falling into step as he entered the engineering building. It was the most modern looking building on campus, all glass and cement. Zuko didn’t hate it.

“For the mech midterm, yeah. Not for any more R though,” Zuko said. 

“It’s trash. We don’t even use it. It just does stats,” Mai agreed. 

Students from the earlier class poured into the hallway looking just as exhausted and anxious as they probably felt. Mai and Zuko sat at the front, just off to the side so the professor won’t look at them much during the lecture.

Professor Zhao marched in at 9:28 am sharp, shutting the door behind him so any stragglers can’t get into the lecture hall. He was one of the profs who didn’t upload any slides or course information for “copyright reasons''. As if someone wants to steal first year computer science curriculum. Zuko was pretty sure half his degree could be found on youtube. 

The lecture dragged, Zuko checked the clock what felt like every thirty seconds. Then it was time for the next one. It was down the hall in a bigger room. It was physics, another one of Zuko’s strengths. The frazzled professor couldn’t connect the projector for the first ten minutes of class. Mai checked on her bitcoin value while they waited. Once the lecture got going, Zuko got lost in the rhythm of copying the diagrams and formulas neatly into his notebook. It was afternoon by the time the lecture was finished.

“Going to the library?” Zuko asked. Mai shrugged.

“Yeah, probably. Gonna see what Ty’s up to.”

Ty Lee was one of Mai’s high school friends who was also his sister’s best partner in corporate crime. Or at least in business school. Zuko steered clear whenever he could, even if it meant he ate alone most days.

“Okay. See you,” Zuko said. He didn’t watch her walk away.  


In the campus cafeteria, Zuko found a nook with a free table. He settled in with his mac n’ cheese and opened the engineering facebook forum. It was flooded with last minute mech questions and memes about not needing sleep when you run on the power of god and anime.

Zuko put on his headphones and got to work.

By the time the mech midterm rolled around, Zuko had answered about thirty five questions about things Professor Bumi had mumbled in lecture. 

He picked up his stuff and trudged back into the engineering building. The hallways were filled with loitering first years. It was always the loudest right before a big exam. 

He spotted Mai sitting against the wall looking at her phone. She played candy crush before every exam. Apparently it was meditative. She nodded to Zuko when he sat down beside her. He put on his headphones and closed his eyes, letting the music take him away.

Soon the students started herding into the lecture hall. Zuko and Mai took their usual spots in the front row. He liked the front row. Less distractions.

A particularly loud group filtered by. Zuko recognized that noise. He looked up to see Sokka give him a thumbs up and mouth ‘good luck’ as he passed by. Zuko felt like he blushed head to toe. He nodded back. Mai gave him a weird look and Zuko just shrugged.

The TA’s passed out the midterm. Professor Bumi yelled “Commence!” with a maniacal kind of joy. Zuko flipped open the first page. 

The midterm wasn’t too bad. There were a few tricky questions that required one formula to find the other formula. There was one question Zuko had never seen before even though he knew he went to all the lectures and did all of the assignments. Engineering profs were notorious for “challenging” the students during exams. Whatever. 

With only a hint of annoyance, Zuko watched Aang hand in his midterm first and practically skip out of the room. Zuko quickly finished checking over his work and handed in his test. 

As he left the lecture hall, he hoped his competitive streak didn’t cause him to miss any mistakes. A lifetime of competing with Azula for praise and acceptance from his father had given him some bad habits, he knew that. Now that he was spending more and more time away from home at uncle’s, Zuko felt like he had an opportunity to mellow out a bit. Uncle always said competition was for horses not artists. Zuko didn’t think he was any kind of artist or horse, but he kind of got the gist.

**Sokka from class**

**Zuko:** hey, im done

**Zuko:** gonna go wait in the lobby

**Sokka from class:** im stuck in here until the last 30 min runs out

**Sokka from class:** why do they blast the aircon in lecture halls

**Zuko:** we are the unwashed masses, the plebs

**Sokka from class:** but still my toes r gonna kermit

**Zuko:** …

**Zuko:** are you wearing regular shoes

**Sokka from class:** of course, why

**Zuko:** because if you were wearing socks i bet your feet would be warmer

**Sokka from class:** (ง ͠° ͟ل͜ ͡°)ง

**Zuko** changed **Sokka from class** to **Sock-a**

**Sock-a:** hey, don’t sock shame me

**Sock-a** changed **Zuko** to **Zucchini**

**Zucchini:** real original 

**Sock-a:** we moving omw 

A few minutes later, Sokka stood in front of Zuko. His blue sweater really made his eyes stand out. Zuko gave himself a mental whack to stop thinking about how cute his project partner was. That’s like the first rule of group projects: don’t make things weird. 

“Hey, I think my brain is broken, let’s go back to my place,” said Sokka, shooting finger guns. 

It felt really really close to a pickup line. 

Zuko.exe not found. 

“Uhh… okay,” said Zuko eventually because he was weak and also because they did actually have to work on their project. 

Sokka led him out of the engineering building and towards the student accommodation. Zuko had been in Mai’s dorm a few times, but she was in the quiet study dorm so it wasn’t all that bad. 

He was a little afraid Sokka was going to take him to a frat house. 

“Okay but seriously? I would have crashed and burned so hard on that midterm if it wasn’t for the engineering facebook forum,” said Sokka 

Zuko kept quiet. Was he talking about the engineering facebook forum he ran? 

“That Blue guy, or person, honestly just carried me through that exam. I owe them my life,” said Sokka with mock seriousness. 

Zuko laughed a bit too loud. Sokka was talking about him! Sokka liked what he did! Zuko considered telling Sokka right there, but he hesitated. The whole reason he posted anonymously was so he wouldn’t get bombarded by questions in real life. He liked Sokka, sure, but he couldn’t say that Sokka wouldn’t tell anyone about him. He changed the subject instead. 

“Do you like living in accommodation?” 

Sokka nodded enthusiastically, “Yeah, it’s actually pretty great. I like being so close to classes and the gym and stuff. Living with Katara is great too, even if she’s mad annoying most of the time.” 

“Is Katara going to be there tonight?” Zuko asked. Even though he apologized, he knew she probably wouldn’t want him around. 

“Nah, she’s going out with the rest of them,” said Sokka. Zuko felt guilty. 

“I’m sorry we’re meeting now. We can reschedule if you want to go out.” 

Sokka made a choking noise, “What? No, bruh, I see them like every day all day. I need a break from getting my fashion sense roasted by Suki and Toph.” 

Zuko didn’t hesitate, “But they’re right though.” 

He felt a little satisfied by the shocked look on Sokka’s face. They entered the apartment complex. 

“Shot down by my own project partner, stabbed in the back, laid low by friendly fire,” Sokka ranted. He was smiling though, as he pushed the elevator button. 

The elevator ride to the fourth floor was short. Zuko thought if he had been able to live in student accommodation, he’d want something like this. Sokka’s apartment was small, but actually kind of tidy. Zuko would put money on that being Katara’s influence. 

As if to prove Zuko’s point, Sokka kicked off his crocs in a heap of shoes at the front door and flung his bag at the couch. 

“I’m getting a recovery beer, do you want anything?” 

“I’ll have one too,” said Zuko, when in Rome. He sat on the couch and pulled out his laptop. He made sure to leave space on the non-scar side of his body. 

He was pleasantly surprised to see Sokka return with craft beer from the local brewery. He tried not to be a snob, but Bud Lite really did just taste like soda water. Sokka fished out a notebook and sat beside Zuko on the couch. 

He was close and Zuko wanted to lean in and feel Sokka’s shoulder next to his. He didn’t do it, though. 

“Okay so besides your broken brain from that midterm, it think we can just come up with a few ideas and test them out in the lab next week,” suggested Zuko. Sokka’s eyes lit up. 

“Yeah! I have a bunch of ideas. So for the Boiling Rock scenario we have to build something to get across the boiling water, pick up the dolls, then get back across the water without falling in or dropping anyone. I was thinking we could try like some kind of crawler like from star wars that has some kind of pincer attachment?” 

Zuko nodded, impressed, “Yeah the programming on that kind of thing shouldn’t be too bad.” 

Sokka’s smile was contagious, “Lit, okay let’s take a look at some models.” 

Zuko opened his laptop and they got to work. 

Working with Sokka was a lot different from what he expected. Sokka was clearly really passionate about engineering. He moved his hands a lot when he talked and he really seemed to know what he was talking about. He was patient while Zuko drew up rough 3D models on his computer and pointed out design flaws that Zuko would have never noticed. 

He also called Zuko “dude” about a thousand times which made Zuko want to die a little on the inside. Was it possible to be friend-zoned this hard before you were even friends? 

About two hours later, they had something well on its way to being workable. Sokka had crushed two more beers and he talked a little louder than an inside voice. Zuko caught sight of the time and blanched. 

“Shit, I gotta run for the last bus,” he said, packing away his computer, “Thanks for the drink, I think we’ll be in good shape for the lab period.” 

“Do you want to stay over?” 

Zuko froze, bag half-way to his shoulder. Sokka still sat on the couch, but his long tan legs were thrown over the arm and his face was open, unguarded. 

“We could make up the couch for you, I think Katara has an extra duvet.” 

Right. Katara lived here too. And Sokka was obviously only doing this to be friendly to his “bro”. Zuko slipped his arm through his backpack strap. 

“No, it’s okay. I-I’ll see you,” he said. He practically ran out the door. 

Zuko missed the last bus. He gasped for breath, watching it pull out of the bus loop. 

**Ozai**

**Zuko:** missed the last bus, staying at uncle’s 

_seen at 11:02pm_

Zuko sighed a puff of cold air and started walking to the tea shop. 


	4. SECRET TUNNNEEELLLL!!!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Yeah I forget the next couple lines. Uh, then it goes: 
> 
> SECRET TUNNEELLL, SECRET TUNNEEELLLLL

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A lot of the university campuses in Canada like mine have underground tunnels because the winters do suck that hard. This is loosely based off the abandoned creepy tunnel beneath my university.  
> Also the secret tunnel audio on tiktok haunts my dreams.

Sokka looked at the metal grate on the ground with unrestrained glee. The infamous campus tunnel, they’d found it.

“Guys I don’t know, it looks kinda locked,” Aang said. Katara eyed the grate in the cement walkway between the arts buildings warily. To be fair, there was a massive padlock holding down the handle. Sokka grinned wide and set down his backpack, pulling out a large pair of bolt cutters.

“Where did you get those?” Suki asked.

“What’d he bring? A cartoon mallet?” asked Toph.

Sokka snipped the bolt cutters in the air, “I may have borrowed the industrial bolt cutters from the mechanics workshop.”

“Cool,” said Toph. 

Suki pulled out a sign that read “Engineering Club” and set it up next to the grate.

“Isn’t that too obvious?” said Katara. 

Suki shrugged, “That’s the beauty of it. There is no engineering club. People won’t wonder what we’re doing because it’s for a club event. But then if they report it, no one gets caught.”

“What if they recognize us?” 

Suki snatched the bolt cutters out of Sokka’s hands.

“Hey!”

“We just have to go fast then,” Suki said. With no warning, she clamped the padlock in the bolt cutters and leveraged her bodyweight down. The padlock snapped off with a loud crack. Toph and Sokka cheered. 

Aang lifted the metal grate. Cold air rushed up from the tunnel below. Rusty rungs of a ladder attached to the side of the chute down into the darkness.

“Dibs going first!” said Toph. 

“Uh,” said Sokka, but Suki was already helping Toph find the rungs with her feet while Katara checked that the coast was clear. Sokka put the bolt cutters back in his backpack.

“Ladies first?” said Aang. Suki rolled her eyes and climbed down after Toph. 

Katara said, “Thanks Aang,” sarcastically and followed Suki. Aang looked at Sokka who shrugged.

Aang ran and jumped into the hole. Sokka didn’t hear any screams so he assumed Aang landed on his feet. Sokka pulled the grate over his head as he climbed down. It fell into place with a resounding BOOM. 

It was pitch black in the tunnel. It was only really a cement tube barely tall enough for Sokka to walk standing up. He may have brought the bolt cutters, but Katara had brought the flashlight. He honestly didn’t think they owned a flashlight. Maybe she had borrowed it too, she’d never tell though. 

“What was this built for?” Aang asked. Sokka’s stealth crocs, black ones with no jibbitz, scuffled across the slimy floor.

“I think they were gonna make tunnels for the winter in like the 60’s so students wouldn’t freeze their asses off. They ran out of money though so they only built one small one,” Toph explained up ahead. 

“Yeah,” Sokka added, “And apparently some kids used to meet down here to makeout, but there was a huge blizzard and they got trapped and died.”

“You’re kidding,” Katara said. 

“That’s what my chem TA said last semester. Would be mad creepy if it was true,” Sokka said with a shudder. It was quite a bit colder down here than the campus walkway. The hair on his arms stood up. 

They came to a fork in the tunnel. One went left and the other went right. They couldn’t see more than six feet down either side. 

“That way smells better,” said Toph, pointing to the left. 

“Let’s do it,” said Sokka. He had trust in her nose hairs.

They turned to the left. There was a bit of standing water on the ground. Sokka wasn’t actually that keen on getting secret tunnel water on his feet.

“Where do you think this goes?” asked Katara.

“I think it was supposed to go from the Humanities building to the University Center,” said Suki.

“Isn’t that the other way then?” 

“Uh…” said Sokka helpfully.

“As the only one with actual spatial awareness, I can say for a fact that we’re under the swimming pool,” declared Toph.

“Let’s keep going,” Katara said quickly. Sokka looked up at the ceiling of the tunnel suspiciously. It was kind of wet actually. Yikes.

The group kept walking down the tunnel. 

“Should I make a tiktok so the people will know how we died?” 

“Sokka, we’re your only followers.”

“Still, I could do it for clout.”

“You do not have my consent to film. The Toph will not be televised.”

“You can film me, look, I’ll do a flip!”

“AANG NO!” yelled Katara. It echoed in the tunnel.

Aang did a flip. Sokka couldn’t really see anything. He did hear a rush of air, a shaky landing, a slip of converse on slimy cement, and a thump, though.

“Ugggghh, bad idea,” groaned Aang, sitting on the ground. Katara rushed over to help him stand. Sokka, Toph, and Suki doubled over laughing.

“Oh my god Aang are you okay? Let me take a look.”

“I’m fine Yup! Totally good!” Aang insisted. He held his arm close to his chest though. Katara pried his arm into her grip. Sokka could almost feel Aang blushing from five feet away.

“You’re bleeding, Aang. We should head back,” said Katara. 

“But what about the secret tunnel?” demanded Sokka, “We need to see where it comes out!”

“We can come back to check it out, but I only brought a few bandaids.”

“I’m fine, totally!”

“No Aang, you’re getting blood on my jeans.”

“Ewww, Aang. Big boys keep their blood in their vessels,” said Toph.

“I AM a big boy!”

“Sure thing buddy,” said Sokka. 

They started walking back the way they came. They passed the wet section under the swimming pool and soon they were back to the fork in the tunnel. Except there was one problem. 

At some point, a metal door had swung shut behind them, closing off the section of the tunnel where they came from.

“It sounds like we’re trapped. Are we trapped?” said Toph.

“Nah, we can just push it open, right?” said Sokka with false confidence.

Suki, Toph, and Sokka pushed against the door. It clicked in the door jam, but it didn’t budge an inch.

“WHY would they only put a handle on one side?” said Katara, “That’s just poor design.”

“Maybe that’s how those kids died,” said Sokka glumly. 

“No one died here,” said Katara.

“Did too.”

“Did not.”

“Did -”

“Guys! It won’t matter if someone died here before. We might be next,” interjected Suki, “Let’s just see if we can get someone to come help us out.”

“Like who? Literally all of our close friends are in this tunnel,” Toph pointed out.

“Okay that’s a bit depressing,” said Suki. She wasn’t wrong.

Sokka checked his phone, “Wait, I have service.”

“And who are you gonna call? Dad?” said Katara. Sokka stuck out his tongue even though the flashlight wasn’t pointed at him.

“No, I’m going to call my very own knight in shining Docs,” said Sokka.

“Sokka I swear if you call the campus police our friendship is over,” said Toph. 

Sokka swiped through his contacts and hit the dial button.

“Shh shh, it’s ringing.”

**********

Zuko wasn’t expecting a call so when his music cut out and his phone lit up, he honestly thought his dad was calling to say he turned Zuko’s room into a guest room.

Then he saw the contact name **Sock-a**. Weird. Maybe Sokka was one of those super extroverted people who liked to talk on the phone. Zuko looked around the university center atrium. No one had looked over and there were other people talking. He picked up.

“Hey Zuko, my guy, my buddy-man, what is popping?”

Zuko heard a muffled “Sokka what the hell?” in the background. It sounded like Katara. To be fair, Sokka did sound a little bit extra on top of the way he usually talked.

“Hey.”

“So, hypothetically, in theory, if a good friend of yours was in trouble, you’d help him out, right?”

Zuko’s heart jumped a little bit, “We’re friends?”

“Well yeah, obviously, do you think I offer use of our only piece of furniture in the living room for just anyone? I’m not some kind of juggalo.”

Zuko didn’t think he’d ever heard anyone actually say the word juggalo before. 

“Okay.”

“Great! So, in this hypothetical theoretical situation, say, five brave engineering students discovered the secret tunnel below the east walkway and say, might have had a one way door close behind them and-”

“You don’t have to keep saying say. Are you in the tunnel now?”

There was a beat of silence at the other end of the line.

“...yeah. Can you come get us? We left an engineering club sign next to the grate between the University Center and the Fine Arts building.”

Zuko took a breath, he could be paranoid, but a childhood with ‘pranks’ from his sister Azula had given him a healthy suspicion.

“Sokka… you aren’t messing with me, right?”

The response was immediate, “No, dude, seriously we’re trapped in a tunnel right now, here I’ll put you on speaker.”

There was a crackle on the phone speaker.

“Hey, Zuko! We’re really in a tunnel,” said a voice which sounded like Aang.  
“Yeah, Aang totally wiped out and he’s bleeding so if you could, like hustle, that’d be real,” said a voice he thought might be Toph’s.

“You didn’t have to tell him that,” said Aang. There was another crackle on the speaker as it went back to normal speaking mode.

“You know I wouldn’t trap you in a tunnel,” said Sokka. Zuko was quiet. Sokka didn’t wait long for him to answer, “Here Zuko, I’ll turn on find my friends. If this is all some elaborate prank then at least you’ll get a brand new iPhone out of the deal.”

That sounded more like he was telling the truth. Zuko zipped up his backpack and stood.

“Okay. You said the Fine Arts building?”

“Yeah, there’s a metal grate in the walkway with a sign.”

Zuko left the building and followed Sokka’s directions. Sure enough, there was an “Engineering Club” hand drawn sign next to a metal grate and a broken padlock.

“You know there is no engineering club on campus. I checked,” said Zuko. Sokka laughed.

“That was our genius! Of course it would have been rad if we hadn’t got stuck.”

Zuko looked around. At the end of the walkway students passed by on their way to their next class. Why that group decided to go spelunking in broad daylight on a weekday, he had no idea. Zuko steeled himself and lifted the grate as quietly as he could. On the other side there were rusty ladder rungs and darkness.

“Shit, crap, oh my god,” Sokka yelped on the other end of the line.

“Sokka? You good?” Zuko asked. His heart started racing, imagining what could have happened. He climbed down the ladder quickly, holding his phone between two fingers.

Distantly over the phone he heard Aang shout “Momo!” and it echoed a bit in the dark tunnel. They weren’t lying. They really were in the tunnel.

“Uh hey, Zuko, could you like, hurry? The campus raccoon just pulled up and he looks mangy as hell.”

Aang’s voice echoed down the hall, “He’s not mangy, he’s just had a hard life!”

Zuko turned on his phone flashlight and walked towards the sound of their voices. 

“Almost there Sokka,” he said into the phone.  


He felt like he was in a horror video game. The tunnel stretched into nothing and the sound of his own breathing was loud. It was cold and smelled damp.

“Aang you can’t feed the wildlife! Where did you even get that?!” Sokka exclaimed though the phone. The echo in the tunnel was getting closer. 

“Momo isn’t wildlife, he’s a city ‘coon. He’s sophisticated.”

“Aang you need to stop watching cartoons I’m literally begging you,” that voice was Toph again. 

Zuko reached the metal door in question. He could hear the bickering on the other side. It came through the speaker of his phone on a delay.

“Okay but that raccoon stole my pizza out of my hand while I was studying on the greens in front of the Business building in first semester and I will not forgive or forget.”

“You know if you love something you should let it go.”

“Not my hawaiian pizza though, Suki. That raccoon didn’t deserve it.”

“Hawaiian pizza?! If anyone asks, I don't know you.”

Zuko found the handle, pressed down on the latch and pulled. Sure enough, on the other side were five aspiring engineers and one startled raccoon. The raccoon jumped at the noise and skittered away into the gloom. Sokka was right, the raccoon did look a bit worse for wear.

“Bye Momo!” shouted Aang. 

“Never come back please!” shouted Sokka. Zuko could see, even in the light of the flashlights, Sokka’s huge grin when he saw Zuko. The secret tunnel didn’t feel so much like a horror show anymore.

“Zuko! My guy, my dude, you're an absolute legend,” Sokka said. He swung a muscled arm around Zuko’s neck and steered them back towards the entrance. Zuko hoped he couldn’t hear his pulse speed up. God he was so screwed.

“Hey,” Zuko said.

“I owe you big time for this, huge,” Sokka said, patting Zuko’s shoulder to emphasize his words. Zuko’s processing capacity went to half-speed.

“Okay,” Zuko said. 

“Yeah, thanks Zuko,” said Aang a little ways behind, “It would have sucked to have to walk all the way back to the other end.”

“And bleed out on the way,” added Toph. Zuko didn’t want to know. 

“So it’s settled, I’m taking you for drinks tonight to celebrate our daring escape from the Secret Tunnel,” declared Sokka. Zuko’s brain barely registered the words, too distracted by the warm arm on the back of his neck. 

“Aww, can I come?” asked Aang. Zuko saw Sokka roll his eyes in his peripheral vision.

“Don’t you have a paper to write or something?”

“No, I’m not starting it until next week.”

“Aang, it’s due next week,” said Katara in an exasperated tone.

“So? I want to go out. Partay, you know? I'm just a naive teenager, I could get hurt if I went out alone.”

"What happened to being a big boy?" said Toph. 

“Fine, chuck-e-cheese, you can come,” said Sokka. He sounded frustrated.

“Let’s all go, it’ll be fun!” Katara said. Zuko heard Sokka mutter something that sounded like ‘hijacked’ and ‘shoot my shot’. Zuko didn’t know what that meant. 

Sokka insisted on climbing the ladder first to “scope it out”. Zuko did his best to not check him out on the way up. It was mathematically impossible for cargo shorts to be flattering. But here Sokka was, six feet of muscles, dressed like a toddler. Zuko couldn't believe he was attracted to someone wearing crocs. God must be hunting him for sport. Suki caught him looking so he quickly started climbing up after Sokka. 

Sokka tried to help Zuko out of the top of the ladder, but Zuko made a point to ignore the hand and clamber out himself. He might say something he regretted if Sokka kept touching him. 

Sokka kept looking side to side as if the tunnel under campus wasn’t the worst kept secret of the century. Literally no one was going to wonder what they were doing. It was very adorable though and very bad for Zuko’s ‘Don’t Fall in Love With Your Project Partner’ agenda. 

After everyone climbed out of the hole, Suki closed the grate, and Zuko realized why Toph had mentioned bleeding. Aang’s left forearm had a huge gash dripping red with a few haphazard bandaids plastered to the side. It didn’t look good but Aang grinned and gave Toph a high five anyway. Zuko had no idea how she did that without being able to see, that was talent.

“Aang we’re going to the clinic,” said Katara. She crossed her arms and stared Aang down. Zuko continued to be intimidated by her.

“But I have bandaids,” insisted Aang holding up his arm. The bandaids had barbie on them.

Katara grabbed him by his good arm and marched down the walkway. Aang didn’t look upset though. 

Zuko checked his watch, it was five minutes to his coding lab, “I gotta…” he pointed towards the engineering building. Suki shoved the handmade sign into her bag.

Sokka started walking in that direction, not waiting for Suki and Toph “Let’s go then, I’ll walk you.”

Zuko had always walked alone, even when his classmates were going to the same place. Now, he had to rush to catch up.


	5. Crokka Defeated

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sokka wears sneakers. Zuko is not a goblin.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hastings_97 made an artistic rendering of Sokka's planned outfit for the bar and I hold it very close to my heart. It captures the essence of his guts and glory.
> 
> [With background](https://i.imgur.com/XdoNuOj.jpeg)
> 
> [Without background](https://i.imgur.com/SZzEb7b.jpeg)

Zuko didn’t know what to wear to the bar. He had just turned nineteen last month so he could actually go to the bar using his real ID. On his birthday, his uncle had poured him a small glass of sake in the tea shop and then he’d gone to bed in the tiny spare room in the apartment above the tea shop. He didn’t feel any older.

That’s where he was now, looking at the meager pile of clothes he had smuggled from his father’s house over the last few months. 

Was the bar going to be like the ones in the spy movies, all sophisticated and chic? 

He thought of Sokka’s crocs and Toph’s seeing eye dog. Probably not.

Maybe it would be like the ones in the sitcoms, warm and rowdy.

He held up a black T-shirt and examined himself in the small mirror above his dresser. He could only really see a bit of his neck and shoulder. It would probably be fine.

There was a knock at his door.

“Nephew? Aren’t you supposed to be leaving soon?” Iroh said through the door.

Fifteen-year-old Zuko would’ve been flooded with annoyance and told him to get lost. But Zuko could see his uncle just cared about him now. It was only a little bit annoying.

He opened the door, “Yeah. Just getting dressed.”

Iroh inspected the shirt, Zuko’s torn black jeans, and black boots.

“What about a little colour?” Iroh suggested. Zuko shrugged.

“I don’t really care.”

Iroh picked through the pile of clothes on the single bed in his slow methodical way. He mumbled to himself while Zuko flipped his hair around in the mirror, trying to cover most of his scar.

“This one is nice,” said Iroh. He held up a dark burgundy satiny kind of button-down. Zuko didn’t remember packing that, it must have slipped off a hanger while he was packing his pyjamas. 

“Uh, isn’t it a bit too fancy?”

Iroh shook his head and tossed the shirt at Zuko, “You said you were going out with friends. They will appreciate a bit of effort.”

Zuko had felt like he was lying a little bit when he said he was going out with friends. What was he supposed to say? He was going for thank you drinks for rescuing his project partner and his gaggle of chatty engineers?

Sokka was a friend, at least he thought. Maybe it hurt a bit, being called all those endearing platonic names, but at least he hadn’t been called pal yet. He would draw the line at pal.

Iroh left the room and Zuko put on the shirt. In the corner of the mirror that he could actually see, it fit well and it wasn’t too bright. He kind of looked nice. 

His phone buzzed with a text.

**Sock-a**

**Sock-a:** we here, got a booth in the back

**Sock-a:** they’re gonna start charging cover in 30 min

**Sock-a:** hustle

**Zucchini:** ok

**Sock-a:** i don’t feel like ur hustling

**Zucchini:** still at home

**Sock-a:** here ill help by spamming until u arrive

**Sock-a:** ̿ ̿ ̿'̿'\̵͇̿̿\з=(•_•)=ε/̵͇̿̿/'̿'̿ ̿ 

**Sock-a:** that ones katara when someone else gets the good bunsen burner

**Sock-a:** ༼ʘ̚ل͜ʘ̚༽

**Sock-a:** that ones aang when he has one (1) sip of coffee

Zuko really was going to be late. He leaned out his door and yelled down the hallway, “Uncle can you drive me?”

“Yes, of course. I never get to drive you anywhere,” Iroh yelled back. Zuko usually felt embarrassed to be driven in the 2004 station wagon, but he really didn’t want to stand in line outside the bar tonight.

**Sock-a:** (ﾉ◕ヮ◕)ﾉ*:･ﾟ✧ ✧ﾟ･: *ヽ(◕ヮ◕ヽ)

**Sock-a:** that ones me and suki when we crush the math department ult team

**Zucchini:** i thot we agreed no cursed images

**Zucchini:** *thought

**Sock-a:** no takebacksies…. u thot

**Zucchini:** im here, u guys in the back?

**Sock-a:** sjkd;ibaf fiboauwbf ‘ob

**Zucchini:** nvm 

*************

Sokka didn’t know what to wear. Scratch that, he knew exactly what he wanted to wear, but it was more a matter of what was acceptable to wear.

“Sokka, deadass, you cannot wear a mesh top and holographic crocs to the university bar,” Suki insisted from the bed. Toph snorted, lying in the middle of the floor with Appa’s head on her belly.

“Why not?” Sokka demanded, “How else am I supposed to convey that I’m fun but practical?”

“This isn’t a rave, we’re just going out to hang out together,” Suki said.

“Yeah and you might scare off your ‘buddy’,” said Toph from the floor. She did air quotations. The air quotations made Sokka frown.

“He is my buddy! My buddy who I would like to kiss tenderly in a meadow under the night sky! He can be both!”

Katara peeked her head in the door, “What’s going on?” her eyes widened in horror, “Oh my god, Sokka I can’t believe we’re related.”

Aang followed Katara into the room, “I like your shirt.”

Sokka waved his hand at Aang, “See? A real friend who likes my shirt!”

Toph scoffed, “Please, he doesn’t like your shirt.”

Katara turned to Aang, staring deeply into his eyes, “Aang, do you like Sokka’s weird and inappropriate shirt?”

“N-no?” Aang stuttered, face going a bit red from Katara’s attention. Sokka sighed, the power of teenage hormones trumped the power of friendship once again.

“So it’s settled then,” said Suki.

“What’s settled?” said Sokka.

“We’re changing your clothes,” replied Suki. 

Sokka tried to escape, but it was too late. Toph grabbed his ankles and Suki tackled him to the floor while Katara rifled through his closet. He really shouldn’t have been skipping so many gym sessions with those two, they were mad strong.

“Aang… help me…” Sokka gasped. Aang lifted his hands in the air and backed away.

“I’m sorry Sokka, it’s for the best.”

Katara yanked off the mesh top and replaced it with a blue-grey t-shirt. Then she replaced his crocs with a pair of sneakers she bought for him for christmas. They were still bright white and unscuffed. 

Sokka got to keep his denim shorts, not that it would have been embarrassing to change. Katara was his sister, Aang was like a little brother, Toph was blind, and Suki had already seen him naked. 

They released him. Sokka stared glumly at his sneakers. He liked being able to see his toes, he liked to know how they were doing. 

“Okay, let's go. We gotta get there before cover at eight so junior over here can get in,” declared Suki as she dusted off her checked pants. 

“Hey!” said Aang, “I can drink in France!”

“Yeah, ten-year-olds can drink in France, you ain’t shit,” said Toph. Sokka got to his feet, suddenly remembering where they were going.

“Let's roll.”

After they arrived at the bar, Sokka got a little nervous. 

They’d been at this bar a hundred times. It had sticky floors, pool tables, and the hockey game playing in the background. It wasn’t anything crazy, but it sure got there when the DJ’s came on the weekends and the dance floor was packed with university kids letting loose from the stressful week.

People trickled in and filled up the tables near the dance floor and the booths near the back. They were lucky to snag one of the bigger ones. Appa could fit under the table so no drunk patrons would try to pet him or take photos. Toph had a sixth sense for that kind of thing. She always held up her middle finger in exactly the right direction. 

Sokka texted Zuko to hurry up. He wanted Zuko to get along with his friends. He wanted Katara to get over this whole bad blood situation she had playing in her mind. Maybe if Zuko had a good time, then they could keep talking after the project was done, keep… Sokka didn’t really know. 

The table nominated him to buy the first round since he was sitting in the outside seat. He went up to the bar and ordered vodka crans for Katara and Aang, a long island iced tea for Suki because she had the alcohol tolerance of a god, and a Jager bomb for Toph because she liked the sound it made with the two cups clinking together. And she was also a chaotic demon.

He didn’t order anything for himself, waiting for Zuko to come so he could buy them both drinks and flirt as hard as he possibly could. It might be a bit tough with the four and a half tag-alongs, but Sokka was determined to make Zuko smile at least once tonight. 

He read the text that said Zuko was here and looked to the door. 

Sokka was glad he hadn’t got the drinks yet because he would have dropped them all. As it was, he did drop his phone on the counter. 

Zuko’s black hair hung over his amber eyes, looking fresh out of the shower. He was beautiful before with those eyes and that jawline and that hair. But with the satin red shirt which clung in all the right places and those jeans which showed off flashes of skin, Sokka threw any hope of acting right out the window. Who knew Zuko had a body? He was going to embarrass himself and he accepted that into his heart. 

Zuko was still looking at his phone so Sokka yelled over the din of the bar, “Zuko! Hey! Over here!”

A few people waiting at the bar gave him a look. Sokka did not give a singular shit. 

Zuko walked over. He looked really good doing that. God, he was just walking, Sokka needed to get a grip.

“Hey,” said Zuko. Sokka’s brain cells did a little jig for Zuko’s voice. 

“Hey, man. How you doin’?” Sokka said. He held his hand out for a fist bump. Jesus, what was that?

Zuko eyed his hand suspiciously but gave it a soft bump anyway. 

“I’m fine. How are you?”

The bartender, bless her heart, placed the drinks down at that exact moment, sparing Sokka from any further crashing and burning. 

“Here’s the drinks, I’ll just skedaddle back to the table. What do you want?” asked Sokka. 

Zuko cocked his head, letting some of his hair fall across his brow, “Whatever is fine.”

Sokka choked on his spit, picked up the tray, and sprinted to the table. 

He interrupted a fierce game of fuck, marry, kill featuring their professors. Aang had a fidget spinner out.

“Take your shit, hellspawn,” Sokka said with a cinematic flourish. The group took their respective drinks. Toph downed hers immediately. Suki gave him a knowing smile which he did not like. As promised, he skedaddled back to the bar. 

Zuko held up two pints when he returned.

“I saw they had the same thing you had at your place so I ordered. Hope it’s okay?” he said hesitantly.

Sokka was pretty sure he could have given him sour milk and he would have said thank you. 

“Yeah, no, it’s perfect! Great!” Sokka took a big sip to prove his point. He felt it left a little foam moustache. A hint of a smile ghosted on Zuko’s lips. 

“I’d be happy to stand here all night, but I think your friends are waving you over,” Zuko said, gesturing his chin to a spot behind Sokka. Sure enough, Aang was waving both his hands over his head at Sokka.

“Jeez, okay that looks bad.”

They walked to the booth. Zuko sat across from Sokka and carefully placed his beer on a coaster. Was it him, or was the lighting really good in that spot?

“Hey Zuko,” said Suki.

“Hey,” said Zuko.

“Zuko would you fuck, marry, or kill Professor Pakku from chem?” said Aang.

‘What the hell, Aang?” said Sokka.

“Answer the question,” said Toph. 

“Kill,” said Zuko, “Guy’s a dick, especially to the girls in my lab.”

Sokka saw Katara’s eyebrows go up. He knew she had a few bad run-ins with that prof in first semester. Maybe she and Zuko could get along after all.

“See Aang, you’re the only one who wouldn’t kill him,” said Toph.

“But he always helped me with my titrations!” 

“Aang, we’ve been over this. You look lost and afraid during chemistry which attracts pity,” said Sokka, “That’s why Katara’s your partner.”

He knew it wasn’t true, but he liked to push her buttons sometimes. As promised she opened her mouth to yell, realized she couldn’t say she picked Aang because she thought he was cute, then went silent.

“Okay, but Sokka you gave yourself third degree burns with the hydroxide. It isn’t even strong enough to do that,” said Suki. This was betrayal. 

“Oh yeah, that was so funny, you had to go in the emergency shower and everything,” cackled Toph.

A small smile played on Zuko’s lips again and his eyes were crinkled in amusement. This wasn’t supposed to be the way Sokka was going to make him laugh.

“I heard about that,” said Zuko, “Did you really get carried out by the first aid team?”

Sokka sputtered, “Uh, no! I walked out very dignified, thank you very much!”

Suki took a long sip of her drink before she spoke, “His crocs melted too because he left them on the heater in the lab.”

Sokka gasped, “That is a very sensitive topic, please be respectful.”

“I broke the fume hood last semester,” Zuko said, out of the blue. Sokka turned to him, amazed.

“Is that why the hallway smelled like rotten eggs for like three weeks?”

Zuko scratched the back of his neck, “It was an accident…”

Sokka laughed and slapped the table, “HA, I thought it was a senior prank! That’s classic!”

Zuko’s shoulders seemed to lose a bit of tension and he relaxed into his seat.

“I got in such deep shit for that. Those things are like crazy expensive.”

“How did you even do it?” asked Katara. Zuko looked down at his beer.

“I bumped the back switch and it started making a weird noise and blew all of the fumes in the column back down. I tried to turn it down but then I actually turned it to max and then it died,” Zuko finished, still staring at his glass. Toph and Suki were cackling in the corner. 

“Why didn’t you ask the TA?” said Aang. Zuko took a sip of his beer then muttered into the glass.

“I didn’t want to bother them…”

Sokka felt like there were probably little hearts floating around his head. He did the same thing all the time, well not breaking the fume hood, but messing up and refusing to ask for help. 

Sokka was seriously enchanted by Zuko’s awkward laugh when Toph asked him if all computer engineers worshipped Napolean Dynamite and Zuko’s startled expression whenever Katara directly addressed him.

They all finished their drinks between rants about stupid assignments and a discussion on the fastest way to sneak into the gym without paying. 

The music in the bar got louder. Zuko excused himself to go to the bathroom. Aang said he had to go too. Zuko gave him a weird look, but didn’t say no. Poor Aang, at university he had only been around the group of girls and Sokka who had no shame. He was used to going to the bathroom in a group. 

As soon as the two were out of earshot, about two steps away, Suki rounded on Sokka with that knowing smile.

“So, computer boy, huh?”

Sokka smiled wide and put his head on the table. It was kind of gross with that typical bar stickiness, “Yeah.”

“Can someone PLEASE tell me what he looks like,” said Toph, “I’ve been picturing him as a sexy goblin based on Sokka and Katara’s descriptions.”

“He’s not sexy!” insisted Katara.

“He’s not a goblin!” insisted Sokka at the same time, peeling his head off the table. The siblings glared at each other for a moment. 

“He’s tall, kind of skinny, pale with black hair, big red scar on one side of his face that’s kind of badass, uh, not unattractive,” said Suki.

“Thank you! Someone has taste,” said Sokka. The bass got louder in the bar. The dance floor would open up soon. Toph would probably want to head out soon, for the sake of Appa’s ears. 

“Okay, but Katara is totally a personality person. If Zuko was a dick to her last semester, he can’t then be hot to her,” Suki explained. 

“Good thing,” Sokka said, “I would have to fight my own sister.”

“Fight who?” asked Aang. He and Zuko reappeared at that moment. Sokka hoped they hadn’t heard anything before that.

“Momo," he lied, "Katara thinks Momo is cute and I want to eat him for lunch.”

“Not Momo! He is working hard to get by on campus. It’s rough out there for him!” Aang exclaimed. Toph reached across the table and punched Aang on the arm. It probably hurt, but he deserved it. 

"Momo was a menace at best," said Suki.

Zuko waved to the table, not sitting down, “Hey, I’m gonna head out. Early morning physics lab and all.”

Sokka did not pout because he was nineteen, not three. He didn’t. Suki nudged him in the side, hard.

“Okay, buddy. Why don’t I walk you home?” 

The rest of the table went quiet, watching the two. Zuko shifted on his feet a bit, “Uh, sure. It’s like twenty minutes though.”

“Eh, no worries, we can talk shop on the way,” Sokka internally cringed, he sounded like a forty year old dad. 

“Bye Zuko!” said Aang.

“Sokka do you have a coat?” said Katara as Sokka pushed up from the table.

“I’m sure he’ll find a way to keep warm,” said Suki, winking. 

“Get lost, already,” said Toph. She was sweet like that.

Sokka followed Zuko out of the bar, glancing back once to see Suki give him a thumbs up. He returned the gesture. 

The air outside was colder than it had been earlier. After the heat of the bar it felt refreshing. Zuko shoved his hands in his pockets and started walking to the left of the sidewalk, leaving space for Sokka. He always left space on the same side.

Sokka’s sneakers didn’t squeak on the sidewalk like his crocs did. He missed them. They walked quietly for a moment, Zuko walked just as fast as Sokka like to walk. The moon peeked out from behind a cloud.

“Where are we going?” Sokka asked.

“To uncle’s,” said Zuko, looking ahead.

“Do you live with him?”

“It’s complicated,” Zuko said. Sokka was quiet, wondering if this would be a good time to start talking about his mock up for a mechanical frisbee which always flew balanced. Zuko continued, “My dad’s house is out in the valley. My sister is there too, but we aren’t close.”

Sokka thought of his little flat with Katara. He would hate it if they weren’t close.

“That’s tough, bud,” he said. Zuko laughed but didn’t smile.

“Yeah, it’s not great. My dad cares a lot about his reputation and his things. Ever since this happened,” he gestured to the side of his face Sokka couldn’t see, “I’ve been like a broken thing he can’t fix.”

Sokka didn’t know what to say to that. It was just a scar. Just a patch of skin. It didn’t make him ugly. It made him noticeable, sure, but it didn’t make him a different person.

“Is your uncle better? He seemed nice at the tea shop,” Sokka said. Zuko nodded.

“Yeah, uncle Iroh is different. I might move in with him for the summer,” he said. He looked up at Sokka, looking a bit freaked out, “I’ve never told anyone about moving. Please don't tell my sister.”

Sokka shook his head, “No, man, no clue who she is.”

“For the better, she’s a business major.”

They both shuddered. It was true, Sokka knew, that they lived in capitalist society. Wild that people chose to study business to succeed financially. Their ultimate frisbee team was pretty good, though.

They turned down a familiar street. It was the one with the tea shop. 

“Are you busy tomorrow night? After the mech lab?” Sokka blurted. He was thankful for their engineering project, he'd never thought he'd think something like that. But it gave him an easy excuse to keep coming around for Zuko.

“Let me check my social calendar,” Zuko deadpanned. Sokka laughed and bumped their shoulders together.

“Let me know when you find out.”

They stopped in front of the Jasmine Dragon. Zuko’s shirt moved a bit in the cold breeze. Okay, Sokka, don’t be weird.

“Have a good one, dude,” he grabbed Zuko’s hand and pulled him in for a bro shoulder clap. Sokka slapped his shoulder firmly. Zuko touched Sokka's shoulder gently like he'd never done a shoulder hug before. 

“Bye Sokka.”

Sokka watched him disappear into the door beside the shop. The door closed with a jingle.

He walked at top speed all the way home, half motivated by the cold, half by the fact that he was going to see Zuko tomorrow.

Katara didn’t ask about the goofy smile on his face when he came in. She just smiled back.

**********

[](https://ibb.co/rdBDGG8)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Do you like my dumpster fire mood board? Images include Momo, two bros chilln in a hotub, a mac on fire, crokka, and Zuko's heart (ಥ﹏ಥ). I recently figured out how to embed images so I thought I would treat everyone to a visual atrocity.
> 
> Kisses!
> 
> -mylevelance


	6. Pangea

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Boiling rock is off to a great start, if you consider great a lot of fire

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> sooo maybe I accidentally wrote Mailee into this, eit eez what eit eez.

**Mai**

**Mai:** do you know toph?

**Zuko:** kind of

**Mai:** she’s not replying to my fb message

**Zuko:** ill ask sokka for her number

**Mai:** hows it going with “sokka”

**Zuko:** fine, we’re testing our first model in the lab today

**Mai:** but hows it going

**Zuko:** i think we’re working well together

**Mai:** so we’re not gonna talk about your huge crush on him

**Zuko:**...

**Zuko:** is it that obvious?

**Mai:** yuh

**Mai:** u havent complained about him at all even tho hes ur lab partner, complaining is how we communicate

Zuko: he called me dude and gave me a shoulder slap after walking me home from the bar

**Mai:** f

**Zuko:** f

***************

**Sock-a**

**Zucchini:** hey do you have toph’s number

**Sock-a:** why

**Sock-a:** are u gonna ask her out?

**Sock-a:** cuz if u are, u should know she became an environmental engineer to remake pangea and her dog will slobber all over u and u’ll be so gross

**Zucchini:** wft, no, mai wants it for their project

**Zucchini** changed **Sock-a** to **Sockerberg**

**Sockerberg:** what is the meaning of this????? I do not deserve such treatment????  


**Sockerberg** changed **Zucchini** to **Zuc**

**Zuc:** thanks, i hate it

**Sockerberg** sent **Toph Beifong** contact information

**Zuc:** k bye

*************

**Mai**

**Zuko** sent **Toph Beifong** contact information

**Zuko:** ask her about pangea

**Mai:** y

**Zuko:** idk, ice breaker

26 minutes later.

**Mai:** ….

**Mai:** she.. wants to… remake pangea… to reduce carbon emissions from the shipping industry….

**Zuko:** uh

**Mai:** this is why i don’t hang out with the enviro eng kids

Zuko had to agree with her as he tucked his phone into his pocket. The enviro kids really did not make sense. None of the ones he knew were in this lab though. Suki and Toph were in the other lab room with Mai. 

He put his bag under the lab bench and placed his laptop on the table. And jumped out of his skin from the huge bang noise beside him.

“I am NOT Mark Zuckerberg. Take it back,” Sokka said. His textbooks on the lab bench had made that noise. Sokka did not seem to care that the lab had gone quieter and almost all of their peers were staring at them. Zuko studiously opened his laptop to the rendering of their latest model.

“If you’re going to say lizard man things, then you will be treated like a lizard man,” Zuko said quietly. Sokka laughed in a squawking kind of noise and started pulling out his own materials. 

Zuko looked at Sokka's backpack, then wished he hadn’t. Sokka’s backpack appeared to hold an assortment of loose pencils, crushed paper with scribbles on them, a bent notebook, and his laptop. Without a case. Rescuing that laptop would be a service to the IT industry.

It was their first lab of the project. Before, Zuko had worked quietly on the other labs, taking measurements and solving equations alone. Having someone in the seat beside him, taking up space on his lab bench felt weird. It wasn’t a bad weird though.

The TA came in, a guy named Haru. Zuko liked Haru well enough. He actually answered questions instead of trying to get the students to figure it out themselves when they clearly didn’t know.

“Okay everybody,” said Haru, “Hopefully you all have your models ready to go and we’ll start construction today. Any circuitry, glue, soldering pieces, or other materials are set up at the front. Remember to take pictures as you go, you want to have a working model by the end of the day.”

With that, they got to work.

Their design was not as simple as they thought it would be. Off the bat, the joints had to bear more weight than Sokka thought and the programming for the pincer was more complicated than Zuko thought.

They worked quietly on their separate tasks, din of the lab fading into background noise. 

Two hours later, Zuko started working on the circuit board. It was the last thing he had to do before they could assemble their first model robot.

“Buildin’ a dino, boilin’ a rock,” Sokka muttered to himself in a sing-song tone.

“Programmin’ something, makin’ a claw,” Zuko muttered back. What could he say? It was catchy. They repeated the little tune back and forth for a minute or two.

“Can you guys please quit it?” Katara asked from the next lab bench. She was intensely focused on a tiny wooden contraption, looking through a dissection microscope. Zuko could tell what was coming next, a childhood with Azula had him wincing in anticipation. 

Instead, Sokka just said, “Oh, sorry Katara,” and stopped singing.

Zuko didn't understand. Where was the yelling? Where was the hissy fit? If he had said that to his sister there would have been a smack-down right there in the lab. Maybe his experiences were not universal.

“Are you almost done?” asked Zuko. Sokka grinned and made jazz hands next to the small robot. It really did kind of look like a miniature AT-AT from star wars. Their first try was smaller than the real one would have to be, they just wanted to see if it worked.

“Tadaa! Just need to attach the claw and we’ll be good to go.”

Zuko quickly glued down the circuit board and fastened the lid on top of the claw. Sokka screwed it into place on the back of the robot.

“Let’s watch this baby move!”

Sokka flicked the switch on the battery pack in the belly of the robot while Zuko fumbled with his phone to record it. At first, there was only a whirring noise. The whirring noise got louder. Then the front left leg moved forward.

“YEAH!” Sokka cheered.

Then it caught fire. 

Zuko couldn’t believe his eyes. Orange flames licked out of the sides of their hard work.

“Oh shit!” said Sokka.

“Sokka!” yelled Katara. Before Zuko really thought about it, he grabbed his denim jacket and covered the robot, trying to smother the flames. The denim jacket caught fire. The flames leaped up, scorching the lab ceiling. What was his jacket even made of?

There was a click and a whoosh, and suddenly, Sokka, Zuko, and the lab bench were sprayed with a blast of white foam. It smelled terrible.

Katara stood, a few metres back, holding the nozzle of the fire extinguisher. 

“Is it-”

The fire alarm went off. Zuko dove for his laptop and shoved it in his bag, covering the whole thing with his body. Sokka looked straight up just as the sprinklers engaged. It looked like the water went straight into Sokka’s eye.

“Ow, fu-”

“Everyone remain calm,” Haru interrupted, sounding not calm, “We need to go to the muster which is in the parking lot.”

Zuko and the rest of the lab filed out of the room, protecting their tech from the water. At least most of the foam washed off on the way. The sprinklers weren’t on in the hall. Sokka laughed, shaking the water out of his hair. Some of it hit Zuko, but he was already soaked. 

"Dude, that was totally wild," Sokka said, slinging his arm around Zuko's neck like he had done in the tunnel. Zuko felt his ears go red.

"Yeah," said Zuko, "I don't know what went wrong."

“Hey, hotman. Heard you set your lab on fire,” said Toph, sidling out of nowhere, Appa panting at her side. How did she already know what happened?

Mai appeared beside Toph, looking more unimpressed than usual. She raised an eyebrow at Zuko and he slid out from under Sokka's arm, pretending to check his laptop in his bag.  


“Do you think they’ll let us go back in after?” asked Aang. Katara squeezed out her ponytail, dripping water as they left the building.

“Probably not,” said Suki, who had also found them in the trailing crowd, “The fire alarm goes off in the south residences like every week and it takes forever for the fire department to come.”

Zuko felt guilty, causing the evacuation of the whole building. He had interrupted everyone’s work. The fire department would have to check out the building. He irrationally hoped no one would tell his dad. Well maybe not so irrationally. Azula would do it for fun if she found out. 

As if he’d summoned her, Azula rounded the corner outside the engineering building. She took in the crowd coming from the building, the flashing lights, and her soaked brother. She smiled and walked directly towards him. Ty Lee flanked her side, looking excited by the commotion.

“Perfect,” Zuko muttered. Sokka’s head swivvled between Zuko and Azula.

“Hey, she kind of looks like-”

“Zuzu,” Azula purred, “Were you thinking too hard again? Blew a gasket?”

She laughed and Ty Lee joined her, really just giggling. Zuko sighed. He tried to avoid his sister as much as possible on campus. Every time he ran into her, she either ignored him or tripped him while Ty Lee giggled behind her hand. Nothing like a little sibling love to make him feel like he was back in high school.

“Azula,” Zuko said. He could tell the others were watching the interaction curiously. He hoped Haru came to take attendance or something. He wasn’t so lucky.

“Hi, Mai!” chirped Ty Lee. Zuko saw Mai grimace a little less. That was practically a cheerful grin.

“Hey, Ty.”

“So,” said Azula, surveying the group. Aang waved but Katara pulled his hand down. At least she had some sense. “This is the engineering department. Makes sense.”

“Hey,” said Sokka, “What’s that supposed to mean?”

Zuko wished he hadn’t engaged. He was skilled at dealing with Azula, that meant ending his interactions with Azula as fast as possible. Azula turned her gaze on Sokka. 

“It means that you look like Zuzu’s crowd, lame and covered in grease” she said it venomously, “Except for you Mai, you’re fine.”

“Thanks,” drawled Mai.

Toph crossed her arms, “Well you sound like a stuck up Karen.”

Appa barked as if to emphasize her point. Azula glared at the dog.

“Who’s Karen?” asked Ty Lee.

“Anyway,” said Azula in a syrupy tone, “I’ve got things to do, real school you know. Only children play with toys,” Zuko could almost feel Katara approaching lift-off. He didn’t get that way with Azula anymore, he’d been worn out years ago. “Toodles Zuzu, I’m sure dad will want to talk to you when you get home. I’ll have popcorn ready.”

Azula started walking away.

“Bye Mai,” said Ty Lee, waving and bouncing on her toes.

“Bye Ty,” said Mai. 

The group walked to the parking lot meeting point quietly. The quiet didn’t last.

“Well she’s a treat,” said Toph. Zuko thought he’d had enough of this day.

“Play with toys?” exclaimed Katara, “Biomedical engineering is one of the most difficult bachelor’s degrees in the country!”

“Yeah, is she always like that?” asked Aang. Zuko shrugged.

“Douchebaggery is a family trait,” said Zuko flatly.

“You’re not like that,” insisted Sokka. He said it so quickly, so surely, that Zuko blushed. 

“Used to be,” said Zuko. It was true, when he was younger he used to be more like her. Hurting other people made him feel like he wasn’t hurting as badly. 

Haru did actually take attendance, a few of the students had already drifted, but considering the fire was tiny, no one was really worried about counting heads.

“Hey, you guys should come to my party on the weekend,” Suki said suddenly. Zuko was surprised that she was looking at him and Mai.

“Yeah!” said Sokka, “It’ll be fun, tons of people are going.”

That sounded the opposite of fun to Zuko.

“Sure,” said Mai. Zuko looked at her incredulously. She shared his dislike of college parties with more than ten people. It was always only fun for about thirty minutes before things got messy. Zuko glared at her. She flicked her eyes to Sokka and back, giving Zuko a significant look.

Zuko sighed, “Okay." 

“Awesome!” said Sokka, loudly. He smiled at Zuko like he’d agreed to buy him a car.

After the fire department was done checking out the building, the crowd in the parking lot dispersed. 

“We could get some practice in for ultimate,” suggested Katara, “We have another hour free.”

“Yeah, that’d be good,” said Suki, “We’re playing the enviro science kids and I hate losing to them.”

Mai and Zuko turned towards the library.

“Hey!” Sokka called after them, “Do you guys wanna come? We could use some sub-ins.”

Mai and Zuko shared a look. Mai’s dress was held together by safety pins. Zuko had water in his socks.

“Uh, maybe another time.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A masterful being made this representation of Sockerburg and Zuc
> 
> [ I love them and fear them in equal measure.](https://imgur.com/a/4CtXqeM)
> 
> Is it burned on the back of your retinas? Cuz it's sure burned on mine <3


	7. Bruh, it's totally code

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Zuko parties. Sokka meets President Bush.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I listened to Sober by Conan Gray one time and wrote this chapter in one sitting at 2am. Does it show?

**Gaang**

**Twinkletoes:** hey! what are you supposed to do with a sprained wrist! I messed it up today during the ultimate game!

 **Melon Lorde:** is that a question, bc my text to speech read that as a statement

 **Snoozles:** i usually take an advil and its g2g for the next game

 **Sugar Queen:** For the love of god Sokka, you know I have my level 3 first aid, you could have walked down the hall and asked for me to wrap it.

 **Snoozles:** yeah, but advil is faster

 **Wareeyore:** and delicious, try the kids gummies

 **Twinkletoes:** that does sound tasty!

 **Sugar Queen:** Aang do NOT. I’m out of my lecture in ten minutes, just come to the apartment and I’ll ice it.

 **Melon Lorde:** ice queen herself???? texting in class??? my word

 **Wareeyore:** ಠoಠ

 **Snoozles:** ಠoಠ

 **Sugar Queen:** Shut up.

 **Twinkletoes:** on my way Katara! (ﾉ◕ヮ◕)ﾉ*:･ﾟ✧

 **Wareeyore:** ┬┴┬┴┤ ͜ʖ ͡°) ├┬┴┬┴

 **Snoozles:** ┬┴┬┴┤ ͜ʖ ͡°) ├┬┴┬┴

 **Melon Lorde:** ┬┴┬┴┤ ͜ʖ ͡°) ├┬┴┬┴

Zuko and Mai found the party easily from the noise. They heard it in the elevator when it reached the seventh floor. In the hall, there were loitering students, red solo cup in hand, leaning on walls chatting too close together or shoving each other on the way. Zuko and Mai were late enough that some people were leaning on the wall for support, spilling vodka on the carpets.

“Forgot why I never went to these things,” said Mai.

“Do you remember now?” said Zuko. They wound their way to the source of the thumping base - the third door down. Zuko’s ears already started throbbing.

“Yup,” said Mai monotonously. 

In the apartment there were probably forty people. It was hot and loud. Zuko was glad he was wearing casual clothes, they stood out enough as it was. The people on the outskirts of the room stared as they walked by. Zuko guessed it had a bit to do with the fact that they wore black head to toe, literally. 

People danced in a tangle in the living room with the furniture pushed to the side. Zuko didn't recognize any of them

“Do you want a drink?” Zuko half-shouted. Mai nodded and Zuko pulled out a cooler from his bag. He packed the beer that Sokka liked for himself. It was pretty good actually. These things weren’t like the movies, he’d learned, people got seriously pissed if you took their alcohol. 

Mai and Zuko gravitated naturally to a patch of carpet near the kitchen where there were less people. 

“Did Toph say she was going to be here?” asked Zuko. Parties were always pretty uncomfortable for him. He never had enough friends to throw one of his own. The few he was invited to in high school were always half-full of strangers, half-full of distant acquaintances. This one was more full-full of strangers.

Zuko took a big sip of his beer.

“MAIIIIII, ZUKO, OVER HERE!” a familiar high voice yelled above the noise. Aang, Katara, and Toph materialized out of the throng. Aang had a bandage wrapped around one of his wrists. Zuko and Mai shared a dry look, then went over to say hello. 

“Hey, guys, I’m glad you made it out!” said Aang. Katara had her arm propped casually on his shoulder. Zuko was proud of the guy, if that meant what he thought it might. Even he could tell how infatuated Aang was with Katara.

“Yeah, you seem like you’re having a blast,” said Toph sarcastically. Zuko had no idea how she knew what they seemed like. 

“Yeah, you know I love people, most of all drunk, sweaty, and in large amounts,” said Mai, just as sarcastically. Toph laughed and punched her in the shoulder. Mai valiantly did not spill her drink.

“Did you guys just get here?” asked Katara.

“Yeah, we’ve been here for a minute,” said Zuko. Katara looked to the dance floor/living room. Zuko followed her gaze. In the middle, only visible by their high jumps and flailing arms, were Suki and Sokka. They both had huge carefree grins as they shouted the lyrics. Sokka looked so happy.

“We’ve been here since the beginning. I swear I turn my head for one second and those two take six shots each,” said Katara, rolling her eyes.

Aang made a disgusted face, “All of it tastes like nail polish remover.”

“How do you know what nail polish remover tastes like, Aang,” Toph said teasingly.

His face went a bit red, “Uh…”

Toph punched his shoulder and Aang did spill a bit of his drink, “Ha, don’t worry, we’ve all been there.”

Zuko didn’t think he had been there. He also was growing to understand that being friends with Toph meant arm bruises.

“Where’s your dog?” asked Mai. Her low voice was hard to hear standing this close to the speakers. 

“Writing my soil science report,” replied Toph. Zuko looked between the two. She was kidding, right?

“We’re Appa tonight,” said Aang. Katara nodded.

“Parties are kind of terrible for animals. There’s a lot of research on the negative effects of noise pollution. I can send you some articles,” said Katara. She directed the statement at Zuko and Mai. 

“No thank you,” said Mai. Zuko shrugged noncommittally. He thought that Katara might be trying to be nice to him. It seemed like it took a lot of effort.

The song changed to something a bit slower, the singer’s breathy voice barely audible over the synth.

“Do you guys wanna play beer pong?” asked Toph, “I usually just bump into the table until the people playing leave. It’s faster.”

“No offense Toph, but can you even play beer pong?” said Zuko. Toph crossed her arms.

“I’ll have you know I have excellent aim. Just as my frisbee team,” she said, gesturing vaguely to Aang and Katara.

“Yeah, she’s great,” said Aang, shaking his head vigorously. Katara slashed her hand across her neck.

“Sure,” said Zuko skeptically. 

“I crush Sokka all the time, but he’s shit at most drinking games cuz he’s a lightweight,” said Toph.

Zuko looked back over to the dance floor. It was a mistake.

The crowd had thinned out a little, people taking a break until the next hype song. In the middle of the floor were Sokka and Suki. They still had carefree grins, laughing with each other. Suki’s arms were around his neck. They were nose to nose. Sokka’s hands rested on her lower back on a patch of exposed skin between her cargo pants and tank top. Their hips were pressed together as they rolled to the music.

Zuko stared. He hadn’t been sure before, at the tea shop he’d thought about it. But then at the bar Sokka had given him so much attention he dismissed the idea. He wasn’t dismissing it now. Suki was with Sokka in a way that Zuko wanted to be, would never be.

All the ‘dude’s’ and ‘bro’s’ rang in his ears. God, he was so stupid. Zuko thought Sokka had been playing at something more, the hugs and the winks and the suggestive tones. He didn’t want Zuko the way Zuko wanted him. He was just humouring his classmate. 

He chugged his beer, still watching their bodies twist on the floor. It wasn’t fair that Sokka moved like that, tight blue t-shirt revealing every ridge and valley of his chest. 

Suki tucked her face into Sokka’s neck, drawing him closer. She had been friendly and nice to Zuko every time they'd interacted. He hated her. He wanted to be her a little bit too.

Zuko knew he needed to get out of there. Nothing good came from his raised blood pressure and feeling of dread. He met Mai’s eyes for a second before his gaze was drawn back to the dance floor like a car accident he couldn’t look away from.Tears threatened at the corners of his eyes. He wanted to sink into the floor and disappear.

“We’re leaving,” said Mai, as if she read his mind. She sounded far away. Zuko chucked his empty behind the speaker and wiped his mouth. 

“Wait, why? You guys just got here?” said Aang, sounding genuinely confused.

“Let them go Aang,” said Katara. She didn't sound unhappy about that. Ha, Zuko thought, all she ever wanted was for him to leave her brother alone. He was happy to be of service.

“You need to get your brother on a fucking leash,” Mai spat at Katara. Zuko was only a little satisfied by the look of shock and hurt on Katara’s face. Toph looked like she was going to say something back. Mai grabbed Zuko by the wrist and dragged him to the door, walking fast. She rammed her shoulder into Suki’s as they went through the middle of the room. 

“Woah,” slurred Sokka. Zuko refused to watch them stumble.

Mai steered them down the hall to the elevator. Zuko was really lucky to have a friend like her. She hit the down button.

“Thanks,” Zuko said. His voice sounded wobbly. Mai gave his wrist a squeeze then let go as the elevator dinged open. 

“No, that was shitty,” said Mai. She was right. They stepped into the elevator. 

“Zuko wai-” someone yelled down the hall. The doors slid shut.

In the elevator, Zuko got himself under control. He swiped at his eyes viciously. The feeling of the rough skin under his left eye made him unreasonably angry. He took a few deep breaths like Iroh taught him to when things got to be too much. Mai didn’t rub his back or tell him nice lies. She knew him better than he thought. 

They walked out of the building and into the silent street. It wasn’t as searingly cold as Zuko wanted it to be. Times like these he understood smoking. He wanted to fill his lungs with something more than the warming spring air. 

A door slammed behind them. Footsteps pounded on asphalt.

“Zuko! Wait wait wait wait,” Sokka panted. Zuko stopped and watched Sokka close the distance. His heart surged in his chest like it always did when Sokka said his name. A wash of bitterness followed. 

Before Sokka could close the gap fully, Mai got in his face.

“Back off. You can’t mess with him like this. You’re a real dick, you know,” Mai said. She spoke it in her steady low voice. It sounded harsher than if she’d yelled. Sokka winced and put up his hands.

“I know, I know. I’m trashed, which is a bad excuse, but we were just dancing, really. I’d dance like that with Toph, with Aang, if they didn’t suck,” even though Sokka’s speech was clumsy and slurred, he seemed to notice that Mai was still glaring at him, “I’m sorry.”

Zuko kind of hated the way his shoulders slumped and the way his mouth turned down. Sokka was made for smiling, it was just wrong.

“You should be,” said Mai coldly. Zuko felt the interaction slipping out of control again. Sokka wasn’t his boyfriend, he didn’t owe him anything at all. He was Suki’s, but Sokka and Mai were both treating it like he cheated on Zuko.

“It’s fine,” Zuko said, it came out sharper than he intended, “You can do what you want with your girlfriend, I shouldn’t be such a prude.”

There was a beat of silence. 

Then Sokka doubled over laughing. His loud guffaws filled the night air. In about two seconds he was lying on the road, hands over his face practically wheezing. 

Zuko and Mai looked at each other. Was he insane?

“You… think… aHAHAAha… Suki’s my… HA… girlfriend?!” 

Zuko and Mai stood over Sokka on the road. Zuko hoped a car didn’t come by.

“Well, yeah,” said Zuko. He was at a loss. He looked at Mai. She shrugged.

Sokka’s face popped out from behind his hands. He looked up at Zuko with a disbelieving expression, “Suki isn’t my girlfriend. You’re so pretty. But in, like, a manly kind of way, you know?”

Sokka tried to wink but ended up blinking both eyes and looking unwell. Zuko looked at Mai. She shrugged again.

“Thank you…” said Zuko uncertainly. He was only a little relieved that Suki wasn’t his girlfriend. That didn’t mean much, they could have some friends with benefits situation for all he knew. 

Sokka shook his head, still smiling, “No, no. You don’t get it. Like, uh, your hair is really nice.”

“It grows on my head,” said Zuko. He didn’t do anything to it, he couldn’t take credit.

Mai’s watch lit up. She scrolled through the text.

She sighed, “It’s Ty, she says she wants me to help her bleach her hair.”

“It’s midnight,” said Zuko. Sokka kicked his leg from the ground. It didn’t hurt that much, croc and all.

“Bruh,” he whispered louder than Zuko’s talking voice, “It’s totally code.”

Zuko did not dignify that with a response. Sokka shot finger guns at Mai. Mai did not react.

“You good here, Zuko?” she asked. He looked her in the eye and nodded. He hoped it looked like he wasn’t completely unsure. She nodded back.

“Sokka, be less of an asshat,” she said down to Sokka. Sokka tried to cross his heart but missed and mostly crossed his shoulder. 

And then it was just Zuko alone with a big drunk idiot lying in the street.

“If you get run over, I’m taking your life insurance,” said Zuko. Sokka laughed and covered his face again.

“I think Katara might have you beat there,” Sokka mumbled into his hands. Zuko sighed. Things had been going fine with Katara for a while. It might not be possible to recover from the last fifteen minutes.

“Fair.”

“Are you coming down or am I getting up?” asked Sokka in a passive tone, “I’m cold and lonely.” He kicked his feet a bit on the concrete to emphasize his points. Zuko had really had a conniption over someone in yellow crocs dancing sexy. Maybe he would go to the student mental health centre tomorrow. 

“Here comes Momo to keep you company,” lied Zuko.

Sokka was on his feet in an instant in athletic stance, ready to bolt, “Momo? Where? I’m too young to go rabid!”

Zuko chuckled, just a little bit. Now it was just Zuko and Sokka, looking at each other under the orange glow of the street light. Zuko walked towards the sidewalk. A Domino’s delivery car was bound to come whipping around the corner at any moment.

“So,” Zuko said, trying to be brave, “Suki is not your girlfriend.”

“Nope,” Sokka said, popping the P, “We dated for a bit last semester, but I honestly think she wants someone more serious.”

“Who could be more serious than you,” Zuko deadpanned. Sokka laughed. It sounded a bit self-conscious. They stopped walking when they reached the sidewalk. Zuko wondered if Sokka felt it too, the way this moment stretched like bubblegum, bound to break.

“Ah, I gotta work on that a bit, but we still have a good time,” Sokka looked at Zuko, panicked, “In a friends kind of way, not in, like, a two bros chillin in a hot tub kind of way.”

Zuko stared at him, “Which two bros?”

Sokka laughed, “Come on, you know, five feet apart?”

Zuko still did not know which two bros. Something Sokka said struck a chord with him.

“You don’t have to be more serious.”

Sokka’s eyes were really nice up close. Light blue and trusting. Zuko noticed them over and over. They might be his favourite view. 

“Whaddaya mean?” said Sokka. He seemed to be getting closer, but Zuko couldn’t quite tell. 

“There’s nothing wrong with you, you're," he had already gone this far, right? "perfect. If it didn’t work for Suki, then that’s her loss. She just wasn’t right for you. Someone else is right for you,” said Zuko. He didn’t really know what he was saying, but it felt like the truth. Was he moving closer to Sokka too?

Sokka’s face was outlined by the warm light of the street lamp. He was so beautiful. Zuko wanted him more than he’d wanted anything.

It was like an invisible string pulled taut. Zuko leaned forward just a bit more, brushing his lips over Sokka’s. They were as soft as they seemed.

Sokka reacted immediately, one hand coming to the back of Zuko’s neck, the other around the small of his back. Both pulled Zuko closer, closer, closer.

Zuko hummed in surprise, running his hands across Sokka’s upper back. He wasn’t surprised by the muscles he felt, but it was still nice to know they felt as good as they looked. Sokka took it as a cue to deepen the kiss and he tilted his head to the side, leaving more room for Zuko. 

Zuko swiped his tongue over Sokka’s bottom lip. Sokka moaned. Zuko tasted vodka and lemon and… Sokka was drunk. 

The realization washed over him like an ice bath. Sokka was drunk and Zuko had initiated. While he was mostly sober. This kind of wasn’t okay. 

He wished Sokka was sober, that he’d said nice things to him when Sokka was his regular self and when Zuko wasn’t a storm of anger and jealousy and sadness. He wished they had done this part right. Well, Zuko had been a disaster since he was thirteen, why start getting things right now? 

He put his hands down. Sokka nibbled at his bottom lip, not paying attention to Zuko’s change in tone. His grip was warm and comfortable, but mostly strong. Zuko put his hands on Sokka’s shoulders and shoved. 

If Sokka hadn’t been drinking, and maybe if Zuko had been gentler, Sokka would not have fallen into the bush. 

Zuko tried to stop his momentum, but Sokka stumbled on the edge of the sidewalk and tumbled back into the laurel bush with a crunch of twigs.

**********

Sokka had liked the way things were going. Actually the way things were going were fucking fantastic. 

After Katara had frantically dragged him off the dance floor to tell him that Zuko saw him dancing all close with Suki, looked upset, and left, Sokka thought everything was ruined. It didn’t stop him from chasing the elevator, from rushing down seven flights of stairs, from chasing his boy down the street.

Zuko was his boy, at least in the sense that Sokka felt responsible for how he was treated. Zuko deserved the best and watching Sokka grind on his friend, his ex, drunk at some party, was not the best. 

Mai had been scary, kind of in the way that Katara could be scary, but menacing instead of shrill. Sokka didn’t care. He cared that Zuko was hurt, that Zuko was distant. He wanted to make him feel okay. 

When Zuko had explained what he thought was going on, Sokka could help it. He laughed so hard the world went spinny and he was suddenly on his back in the street. He didn’t care though, Zuko smiled, smiled (!), and Sokka could have been on a mountain top. 

Then Mai had left and Sokka had jumped up and it was just them. Zuko didn’t get the two bros reference and Sokka got sidetracked wondering how a computer engineer missed out on vine. Then they were under the street light.

Sokka liked looking at Zuko a lot. He had a lot going on. His nose, his hair, his lips, his eyes. All of it looked good to Sokka. He wanted to tell Zuko that he thought his scar was rad but also beautiful and he should like it as much as Sokka did. But Sokka didn’t know how to say all of that properly with all the alcohol in his system. 

So instead, when Zuko kissed him, Sokka tried to make him feel it. 

The little hum that Zuko made was like electricity in his veins. Hell yeah, this was exactly what he wanted Zuko to do, kiss him until he couldn’t see straight. Although, everything had been kinda spinny before...

The Sokka was in a bush. His brain skipped over the part between kissing Zuko and being in a bush. But here he was, in a bush. 

A broken branch dug into his side. Between his general state of being and the exhilaration of finally kissing Zuko, he didn’t know how to get up. The bush wasn’t so bad. It was green… and leafy…

“Shit, Sokka, are you okay?” Zuko called from the sidewalk. Awe, he sounded worried.

“Yeah, man, just hanging out, vibing,” said Sokka nonsensically.

Zuko appeared, standing over him for the second time that night. 

“Let me know when you get done vibing,” he said in a solemn tone. Sokka laughed, remembering for the hundredth time why his heart did the flippy thing when Zuko talked.

“Okay, I’m done,” Sokka said. Zuko held out a hand and Sokka took it, “Bye bye, President Bush.”

He thought he was very funny so he laughed again, now standing beside Zuko. He didn’t let Zuko let go, instead, lacing their fingers together. Zuko had long fingers. Sokka's addled brain jumped to conclusions about that. Zuko looked at their hands for a moment, but didn’t try to pull away.

“I think I should take you home,” said Zuko. Sokka’s stomach flipped.

“Yeah, um, yup, absolutely, do that,” he said. Zuko smiled a little tiny smile. They started walking in the direction of Sokka’s apartment.

“I mean, like, walk you to your apartment so you don't get hit by a car then leave,” Zuko explained.

“Hmm, uh, no that sounds worse than the first one,” insisted Sokka. He started swinging their hands between them as they walked.

“That’s what you think now,” Zuko said. Sokka didn’t like his sad tone. Oh well, he’d just have to tell him how he felt.

“Hey Zuko?”

“Yeah?”

“You’re, like, really cool.”

“Sure.”

“Hey Zuko?”

“Yeah?”

“I mean it.”

“Okay.”

“No, no you have to mean it too. Say ‘I’m totally tubular’.”

“Absolutely not.”

“Fine, say ‘Sokka is right’.”

“Ha.”

They arrived at Sokka’s apartment. A wave of exhaustion rolled through Sokka as they rode the elevator up. He was still holding onto Zuko’s hand so he tugged him closer so that Sokka could rest his head on his shoulder. He probably wouldn’t have done it on a regular day. But it wasn’t a regular day. Sokka just wanted to be closer to the guy who just made out with him then threw him in a bush. 

Zuko said goodbye when Sokka was still unlocking the door. Sokka told him to have a really good night, but he stumbled on his words and ended up saying a “really good good”. Whatever, Zuko should do that too.

He wasn't paying attention when he walked by the living room so he had to do a double take. There was Aang and Katara, cuddling on the couch, fast asleep as Katara’s laptop played some TV show. Aang had an ice pack on his wrist. Katara had finally let him in, in some small way. Tonight had been good for everyone in the end. Sokka just hoped the bumpy parts in the middle could be paved over.


	8. No Think

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Zuko revisits the advanced social strategy of apologizing. Sokka asks for backup and gets gently roasted, served with pride.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The comments are so funny, y'all wild!
> 
> The inspiration for this chapter is the classic "No homo??? Why the hell not??".

Sokka’s hangover was the reason he was so slow at ultimate frisbee. When the frisbee whistled by and he jumped for it a second too late, it was because he was tired, not because his brain played the ghost of a memory of Zuko’s skin under his hands instead of focusing on the frisbee practice.

“Sokka, do you need some caffeine pills or something? Appa could have caught that one,” yelled Toph. Sokka eyed the bernese mountain dog sitting patiently on the side of the field. She probably wasn’t wrong. 

“Sokka do you need some hydration tabs? I think I have a few in my bag,” said Katara. She and Aang had been practicing their tomahawk throws. Suki wasn’t there, still cleaning her place after last night’s party. 

Katara had been acting weird all morning. She had been all flustered when Sokka came out to see her and Aang still cuddling on the couch. Then she totally over-functioned, making sure Sokka got enough to eat and asking him how he felt. Sokka wondered what happened at the party that made her worry about him. 

He felt pretty okay, all things considered. His head pounded and the screech of the whistles on the frisbees were too loud. He didn’t care, he had kissed Zuko last night. Everything around that had felt pretty fuzzy, but he knew that part for a fact. He had scrapes from the bush to prove it. 

“Nah, sorry, I just gotta wake up,” he said. He fetched the frisbee and threw it back to Toph, backhanded. It went fast and perfectly straight. Toph plucked it out of the air no problem. 

“If we lose to the enviro sci kids tomorrow because you didn’t eat your wheaties, you’re off the team,” Toph said. Sokka caught her return throw.

“Hey! We agreed that it had to be unanimous!” 

“Sokka, I wouldn’t kick you off the team!” called Aang. He jumped an absurd distance to catch Katara’s throw, bending back in mid-air and landing on his feet. Kid must have springs in his legs.

“HA!” said Sokka, “Aang, I knew you were a real one.”

Toph threw wide, causing Sokka to dive to catch it. As he landed hard on the grass, he was pretty sure she did that on purpose. Her laughter from across the field proved it.  


After they’d run a few plays, Aang called it quits because he had his volunteer work. It was Sunday, that was prime couch time as far as Sokka was concerned.

He planned to start on the lab write up for his fluid dynamics class and try not to think too hard about what he couldn’t quite remember from the night before. He should probably check out the forum to see if Blue posted anything for the physics practice problems too. Exams waited for no man.

He and Katara were studying through lunch in the university cafeteria when he got the text.

**Zuc**

**Zuc:** im sorry about last night, i understand if you don’t want to work with me anymore

**Sokkerberg:** huh?

**Zuc:** i think we should just forget about it

**Sokkerberg:** no think

**Zuc:** ill email you the code for the robot so you can still be done in time for presenting

Sokka must have looked distressed staring into his phone because Katara looked up from her genetics assignment.

“What’s up?”

Sokka shook his head, “Zuko. He’s apologizing for last night.”

Katara set her pen down, “That’s nice of him.”

Sokka squinted at her, “Wait, why? He didn’t do anything?”

“He and Mai were way out of line,” she said, “You and Suki were just having fun.”

Sokka’s eyebrows drew together. He remembered dancing with Suki. He remembered Katara telling him what Mai said, that Zuko was leaving. He remembered the look on Katara’s face.

“C’mon, Mai didn’t mean it. I’m not pressed.”

“Why aren’t you? Mai pretty much called you a dog,” Katara said.

“Because we,” Sokka leaned towards her and waggled his eyebrows, “totally made out in the street.”

“You and Mai?!” Katara practically shouted. 

Sokka laughed and slapped a hand on the table, “Not Mai, Zuko! I made out with Zuko!”

The students sitting at the neighbouring tables were staring at them. Sokka thought about saying it louder for the people in the back. 

Katara’s eyebrows rose, “Really? He seemed mad at you.”

Sokka ran a hand over his face. He knew he had on a dopey smile. 

“Yeah, there’s a lot going on there that we sorted out. But he kissed me and threw me in a bush and I might be in love with him.”

“Who threw you in a bush, I’ll mess them up,” said Suki. She sat down next to Katara, shoving some of Katara’s papers to the side. Katara glared, but Sokka knew it was just for show.

“Zuko, but he kissed me real good first,” said Sokka proudly.

“Eyyyy!” Suki gave him a crisp high five, “Nice.”

“Thank you, I seduced him with my macho charisma.”

“So you seduced him with your idiocy,” said Suki. Sokka thought about it for a second.

“No, I think I seduced him by calling him bruh non-platonically while lying in the middle of the road.”

Suki and Katara rolled their eyes, “So then it was idiocy,” said Suki. 

“But… he kissed me anyway,” Sokka looked at his phone, waiting for a notification to light up the screen, “And now he wants me to forget about it.”

“Maybe he’s just scared,” said Suki. That kind of made sense. After seeing the way Azula talked to him and skirting around talking about his father, there were probably things Sokka didn’t know about. Things that might make him pull back. Sokka was an all in, cards on the table kind of guy. After last night, he didn’t think there was any going back.

“Did he say he regretted it?” asked Katara.

“No… he just said he was sorry.”

“Maybe you have to show him you’re okay with it,” said Suki, “Sounds like he thinks he did something wrong.”

“So I should take him to a hockey game and tell him he’s my homie forever and makeout with him during the penalty calls,” said Sokka. That was the height of modern romance.

“I love you Sokka, but this is why we are not dating,” said Suki. Sokka clutched his heart in mock-agony.

“Why don’t you just talk to him?” said Katara. She had a point.

He picked up his phone and hit dial.

“I didn’t mean right now!” Katara said. Suki leaned forward, trying to hear the other end of the phone call.

The line connected.

*****************

Zuko had not had a good morning.

Azula had finally told Ozai about the whole building evacuation thing. He knew that she didn’t tell on him right away to make the whole situation drawn out and stressful. When Zuko went downstairs for breakfast, Ozai was waiting for him.

He tried to explain that something had actually caught fire, that he didn’t just pull the alarm. Ozai wouldn’t believe him. Zuko didn’t know why he tried, Ozai would never believe him over Azula. She was conveniently absent.

Zuko spent about fifteen minutes hearing how he was useless and a leach and a dishonour to their family. The memory of Sokka walking him home from the bar rose up to block out Ozai’s anger. 

Sokka had looked so lively, strong, walking in the moonlight with Zuko. He had listened when Zuko had told him about trying to move in with his uncle, he had nodded, he had smiled.

The fourth time that memory played in his mind, he turned away from Ozai and went back up the stairs. He ignored demands of “Where are you going?” and “We’re not finished yet”. They were. 

Zuko grabbed his book bag, filled any space with underwear, socks, and a change of clothes. Hot tears ran down his face, but he didn’t feel the confusion or anger inside. He just felt a little bit of heartbreak.

He stepped out onto the balcony of his room. He’d done it so many times that he didn’t feel like he was going to fall anymore. He swung himself over the side, grabbed onto the support beam below, and dropped to the ground.

If he had been sneaking out in high school, he would have crept along the side of the property and jumped the fence where the cameras weren’t pointed. He didn’t care if anyone saw him now. He walked out the front gate. Nobody chased him. 

On the bus ride to Uncle’s, Zuko didn’t think about his father or that house, he thought about last night. It didn’t make him feel better. He’d really messed up, start to finish. He recognized what he felt watching Sokka and Suki to be jealousy, burning, hateful, jealousy. He wasn’t that person, didn’t want to be that person who lost their cool at the tiniest thing. Having grown up with two of those people, he knew how easily that bred resentment. 

Then when Sokka had been silly, slurring drunk, following him outside out of some kind of guilt and Zuko had kissed him. Zuko groaned internally. Taking advantage of someone while they were drunk was wrong. Taking advantage of his mechanics partner two weeks before the due date was dumb as shit. 

He couldn’t let this sit and he couldn’t ghost when he had to see Sokka and Suki and Katara in class. He opened his phone and typed out draft after draft until finally settling on a simple apology and hitting send. When Sokka replied “huh?”, Zuko tried to spell it out for him. He was doing the right thing, he was throwing himself under the bus on the project so at least Sokka could pass. 

There were ten stops left before he got to Uncle’s. He was thinking about what he would make instead with the limited time frame, maybe some kind of hot air balloon, when his phone rang. It almost slipped off his lap and onto the bus floor with the buzzing. He caught it just in time.

He had a call from **Sokkerberg**?

He picked up, apprehensively placing the phone next to his ear.

“Hello?”

“Hello yourself,” Sokka said, “What the hell Zuko?”

“Uh, I’m sorr-”

“No. Nope. Nuh-uh. You don’t get to apologize for that, now you’re hurting my feelings.”

“I, uh, don’t want to jeopardize your grade so if you don’t want to-”

“I do want to!” said Sokka, there was a sound that seemed suspiciously like Suki snickering, “Dude, I want to crush this project with you, I want to set more stuff on fire with you, I want to makeout with you even if I get tossed in a prickly ass bush every time!”

Zuko went quiet. The hiss of the bus wheel filled the silence. Sokka… wasn’t mad? He didn’t hate him? His brain did not fully process the last bit there, still stuck on the fact that Sokka wanted to work with him still.

“Yo, did you die?” Sokka’s voice brought him back to the present, “Was my heartfelt confession the killcode?”

Zuko’s brain finally processed the part about making out. His heart started beating faster and he was sure he was flushed.

“You want to makeout with me, huh?” Zuko wasn’t sure where the confidence in his tone was coming from. Sokka made him feel that way, like he could be more than he was. The middle aged man on the seat in front of him gave him a strange look.

“Uh, yeah, like I know I was drunk as a skunk last night, but you kind of rocked my world.”

Zuko felt like jumping up and down yelling. The other public transport patrons probably wouldn’t appreciate it. “Really?”

“Yeah, like, just... yeah,” Sokka seemed to struggle with the words. There was a rustling noise on the phone speaker and Zuko thought he heard Sokka yell “Hey!”.

“Zuko,” it was Suki, “Sokka’s malfunctioning and I can’t watch this anymore. He likes you, even like-likes you since you guys insist on acting like fourteen year olds. I know you checked out his ass in the tunnel and made out with him even though he’s a dumbass. Just sort your shit out and come get him before he shows up at your house with a boom box.”

Zuko felt weirdly reassured by her aggressive words. If even Suki thought Sokka liked him in a more than friends kind of way, then maybe she was right. There was another rustle through the phone speaker and a distant “Katara, don’t!”.

“Zuko,” said Katara. She waited for him to answer.

“Uh, yeah?”

“I know we didn’t get off on the right foot and last night didn’t really help that out,” Zuko braced himself for something mushy and sweet, “so if you hurt a hair on my brother’s body or make him upset in any way shape or form I will personally submit your cadaver for research at the medical school, do you understand?”

Holy shit. She was scary. “Uh, yes… ma’am.”

“Good.”

There was more rustling.

“Haha,” Sokka laughed uncomfortably, “She’s a jokester, that one.”

In the background Katara yelled, “I’m serious, Zuko! Medical research!”

“Uh, she’s terrifying,” Zuko blurted. He smacked himself on the forehead, why would he say that out loud. Sokka laughed, a real one this time.

“She’s just like our mom, protectiveness is a genetic trait in our family.”

Zuko fantasized for a moment that his family was like that, that Azula and he looked out for each other. It was kind of hilarious to picture. 

“So, whatcha doin?” asked Sokka in a singsong tone. Zuko smiled.

“I just left home, for good,” it didn’t hurt to say, “I’m going to my Uncle’s.”

“Are you leaving the country in disguise? Oh, are you running from the mob? Can I meet you in Barbados using a codename? I’ll be Flying Boomerang, you can be Lord Farquad.”

Zuko laughed, “Sounds good.” The bus brakes squealed. It was his stop. “I gotta go, I’ll see you later?”

“Yeah, man. For sure,” said Sokka. It sounded like a promise.


	9. Chemistry is NOT Sexy

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sokka and Zuko go on a study date. A date with Toph and Appa and Iroh and Aang and Katara and Suki.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter was inspired by that feeling of dread and anxiety when you're the last one in the lab and the TA is waiting for you to finish. But, you know, make it romance.

**Gaang**

**Snoozles:** do u think heart jibbitz are too much?

**Melon Lorde:** i know you like chemistry II, but you don’t have to be horny about it

**Snoozles:** NO ಠ╭╮ಠ chemistry is not sexy, not like ♥‿♥ fluid mechanics ♥‿♥

**Wareeyore:** he’s got a study date

**Melon Lorde:** with hotman? can i come and spray you with water every time you say bro?

**Sugar Queen:** Actually that is a pretty effective strategy, I’ll bring a clicker and treats for every time he uses his brain.

**Melon Lorde:** he goin hungry then

**Snoozles:** bro is a great name! it conveys familiarity and tenderness!

**Wareeyore:** its short for brother

**Twinkletoes:** ◉_◉

**Melon Lorde:** ◉_◉

**Snoozles:** u just had to make it weird huh

**Wareeyore:** no, you started there. say like, idk, cutiepie

**Sugar Queen:** Zuko is not a cutiepie, he is a fellow student

**Twinkletoes:** but you are! a cutiepie! (ﾉ◕ヮ◕)ﾉ*:･ﾟ✧

**Melon Lorde:** can you feel it aang? im spraying the spray bottle at you from the comfort of my home

**Snoozles:** but what jibbitz??

**Wareeyore:** eggplants

**Snoozles:** i already did those ones you horndog

**Sugar Queen:** What about the computer ones and the fire ones?

**Melon Lorde:** that’s actually funny, roast him subtle

**Wareeyore:** Tim Hortons - gently roasted, served with pride

**Snoozles:** u kno i will do that

**Sugar Queen:** Where are you guys meeting?

**Snoozles:** tea shop, y?

**Sugar Queen:** No reason

**Wareeyore:** No reason

**Melon Lorde:** No reason

**Snoozles:** ಥ_ಥ

**Twinkletoes:** (¬‿¬)

Zuko felt only a little nervous waiting at the corner table of the Jasmine Dragon. It wasn’t the I-made-a-mistake-and-now-I’ll-get-yelled-at kind of nervous. It was a-cute-boy-said-he-likes-me-over-the-phone-now-what kind of nervous. He idly checked over his program for bugs. He had used the wrong kind of glue and forgot to cut vents in their robot, causing the fire incident. He never actually saw if the claw worked or not. Hopefully in their lab tomorrow they would make it a little farther than one step. 

“So when you get through the firewall, do you actually say ‘I’m in’ with your hacker voice, or is that just hollywood,” Sokka said. Zuko’s head whipped up. He hadn’t heard Sokka approach even though he wasn’t wearing headphones. 

“We actually say ‘Wah!’ like Waluigi,” said Zuko sarcastically. Sokka laughed for a solid twenty seconds. Zuko smirked.

He could have suggested the library for them to work on the project, but it was approaching exam season. Zuko would have had to walk the library floors looking lost for at least an hour before a table became free. At the Jasmine Dragon could just put up the reserved sign on his favourite table for the low price of having Uncle Iroh shoot him encouraging smiles all day. It wasn’t so bad.

Sokka folded himself into the opposite chair. The soft afternoon sunlight of the tea shop glowed gently against Sokka’s grinning cheeks and constantly moving arms. 

“Okay, so where were we?” said Zuko. Sokka’s eyes went wide and his cheeks took on a faint blush. Zuko thought of the last time they saw each other, walking Sokka home. He hastily cleared his throat, “For, the project… thing.”

Sokka laughed and scratched the back of his neck, “Right, right, yeah, that.”

Watching Sokka all flustered made Zuko want to press forward. “But we can talk about the other thing later, too.”

Sokka seemed to choke on his spit and started coughing into his elbow. Now that Zuko knew how Sokka felt, he could be a bit more bold. But really they were supposed to work on their project. They had to finish the designs, build it, and be ready for their presentation on Friday.

Just then, Uncle Iroh stopped by their table.

“So boys, what’ll it be?”

Sokka looked down at the unopened menu under his notebook with a panicked expression.

“Can we just have a pot of Jasmine?” Zuko ordered for them both. It was his favourite and no one made it like Uncle. 

Uncle smiled, “Of course Zuko, are you going to introduce me to your friend?” 

Zuko almost rolled his eyes at his Uncle’s tone. Before he could reply, Sokka stuck out his hand, “Hi sir, I’m Sokka.”

Uncle shook Sokka’s hand with both of his and smiled warmly, “It’s very nice to meet you Sokka, call me Iroh.”

The image of his Uncle who loved him like a father, just not his actual father, and his… Sokka, shaking hands made Zuko feel all warm inside. Not like a burning kind of anything, just cozy. 

Uncle went off to prepare the tea and Sokka looked curiously at Zuko.

“So, do you live with him now?”

Zuko nodded, “Yeah. It’s better. He’s letting me work evenings at the tea shop,” he looked down at his hands on his keyboard, “My dad cut me off as soon as I left. None of my cards work right now.”

“That’s rough, buddy,” said Sokka, “But your uncle seems chill. He gives me, like, wise hippy who rolled in the mud at woodstock vibes.”

Zuko laughed, “I wouldn’t be surprised.”

He caught Uncle’s eye at the back of the shop. Iroh looked back at him with fondness. Even when Zuko was a surly, vicious, tween, Iroh had always looked at him with love and patience. Zuko irrationally hoped that someday he could look at someone else like that. Like he had all the time in the world for them.

“I think it’d be kinda neat if it caught fire during the presentation, for, you know, dramatic effect,” said Sokka. 

“Uh, I think we might fail if we literally crash and burn.”

Sokka reached across the table and put a finger to Zuko’s lips, “Shhh, shhh, pretty man, do not say the f-word about our baby.”

Zuko talked around his squished lips, “The robot is your baby?”

Sokka took his finger back, looking offended. 

“The robot is OUR baby. Just because two dudes made it for academic purposes, doesn’t mean we can’t give it tender love and care,” Zuko did not want to give their fire hazard tender love and care, “Anyway, I have to scale everything up. Should we paint it like a race car?”

“I mean, sure,” said Zuko. Sokka started sketching in his notebook, using a ruler to get the dimensions right. Zuko registered that he was just called pretty. He leaned forwards, planting his chin on his hand, “Do you really think I’m pretty?”

He had no idea where that question came from. His brain to mouth filter was usually only this bad when his temper flared. Sokka didn’t even look up from his sketching.

“Yeah, dude, have you ever looked in a mirror?”

“Of course I have,” Zuko said. He used mirrors to make sure most of his scar was covered. Sokka squinted at him, seeming to not like his response. 

“I’m not talking about the scar, even though we’ve been over that I think it’s badass. You’re pretty and I’m right. If you fight me on this, I’m gonna win,” he said it like a declaration. It sounded like someone well versed in sibling arguments. There was no room for debate. 

“Okay, whatever you say” said Zuko. “Let’s just… get this done.”

Sokka dropped it for the time being. Iroh came back with the tea.

“What are you two working on?” he asked as he set the little pot and two cups on the only space not covered in their stuff.

“We’re working on our Boiling Rock project,” Sokka said enthusiastically, “I’m designing the shell so it looks fast and Zuko is using his computer witchcraft to give the robot a brain!”

Uncle raised his eyebrows at Zuko. Zuko shrugged. He never really talked about what he did at school, even though he knew Uncle wanted to know more. 

“Well that sounds very important, I’m sure you will learn a lot during this project,” Iroh said. Zuko recognized his tone. It was the ‘I’m imparting wisdom’ tone. 

Sokka held up his notebook, “Look! It’s like a hotwheels car!”

True enough, the sketch had the precise dimensions of their crawler, just with red flames on a blue background. 

Iroh laughed, “It looks fast.”

Sokka smiled proudly. That warm cozy feeling was back in Zuko’s chest.

The door of the shop jingled. Zuko could hear who it was even before he turned to look. 

“Toph, just because you’re wearing sunglasses doesn’t make you incognito.”

“Shut up. I’m a ghost, you’re talking to yourself.”

Zuko heard Sokka groan and lay his forehead on the table. He didn’t blame him. In came the four and a half, at full volume. Toph wore huge aviator sunglasses, Appa at her side. Aang wore a blue toque. Katara’s hair was in braids. Suki was wearing platform sneakers and a silk scarf. They were not incognito.

Zuko turned back to his tea, pretending not to see them. Sokka muttered from the table, “Are they gone yet?”

Zuko poured them each a cup of jasmine. The scent in his nose calmed him. “No they’re sitting at the middle table. Toph is pretending to read the menu. Appa bumped the table. The flowers fell over, that’s too bad.”

Sokka groaned again, “I’m just trying to have a nice study date with my hot computer engineer. Why can’t they let me live.”

Zuko furrowed his eyebrow, “Is this a date?”

“Um, yeah?” said Sokka sitting back up, “Like, only if you want it to be?”

Zuko couldn’t help smiling at Sokka, “I think I do.”

“Lit,” Sokka made the ‘hang loose’ sign with his hand. Zuko did it back, a bit awkwardly. 

He took a sip of his tea and got back to developing the code for the claw. Date or not, the studying part was very real. The work wasn’t as hard as he initially thought. Working from the baseline he made before, he tweaked some of the directives and cleaned up the instructions for the pressure sensor they were going to put in the claw. The din of the cafe faded into the background and he got into his zone. 

It did not last.

“Aang! You can’t take seven courses next Fall, you’ll die,” exclaimed Katara.

“I can do it, I just have to sleep between 2am and 6am!”

“Literally Aang, you’re scraping by on luck and fruit loops alone, don’t do it,” said Toph.

“Plus,” said Suki, “If you finish your required credits early, you’ll graduate early, and leave us to rot alone in Design III with that professor who calls themself the Mechanist.”

“I wouldn’t! I’d take, like, history or something to stick around!”

“You know in history you have to do readings, with actual books” said Toph.

“Nevermind!” Aang said quickly, “Maybe I’ll do coding? Like Zuko?”

At his name, Zuko peaked over at the table. They were all looking at him, Aang with excitement, Toph unfocused, Suki with interest, and Katara with skepticism. Zuko went quickly back to his work. He couldn’t get into it again though, knowing they were talking about him. Sokka worked away on his design, oblivious.

“I think he’s nice,” said Aang.

“I wouldn’t say nice, but Sokka’s really into him and he hasn’t been a complete asshole about it since the party,” said Suki. Even though Sokka had said so, Zuko still felt all jittery knowing someone liked him like that.

“Okay, they do look pretty cute together,” admitted Katara. Katara thought they looked cute together? Zuko ducked his head closer to his screen, trying to hide his smile.

Thankfully, Iroh went over to the middle table and started chatting with Aang. Their speaking volume went to a normal level and Zuko couldn’t hear them anymore.

He felt a nudge against his shin. It felt a lot like a croc toe.

“Hey,” said Sokka, almost whispering, “I’m done, do you wanna get out of here?”

Zuko did not think, not even for 0.02 seconds. “Yes. Let’s leave out the back.”

They gathered their things. Zuko didn’t have much, considering he lived upstairs.

“Okay we’ll make a break for it when they’re not looking,” said Sokka, glancing at the table. He grabbed Zuko’s hand. Zuko didn’t look at the table. He looked at Sokka who had a mischievous glint in his eye. “Wait for it… Now!”

Sokka took off towards the kitchen, pulling Zuko with him. Zuko was sure they were way more conspicuous than if they’d walked, but his heart beat fast and he felt like giggling. Zuko pushed open the swinging door and they snuck into the tight kitchen. Both of them were breathing hard in the small room. 

“Remember when you served us grilled cheese?”

“Yeah, that was like two weeks ago, Sokka,” Zuko said. He remembered the feeling of Sokka grabbing his hand outside the kitchen door that time in the Jasmine Dragon, not unlike a minute ago. They were still holding hands. Zuko laced their fingers together. 

Sokka smiled, well he always smiled, but this one was small and soft and just for Zuko. “I think Toph knew you worked here, before. I was a goner since you sat with me in the library.”

Zuko didn’t know what to say to that. He looked down at Sokka’s orange crocs. There were little shapes on each shoe.

“Hey, are those-”

There was a tug and a stumble. A hand on his cheek. Lips against his. Zuko quieted his mind, shut his eyes, and leaned into it.

It was different from the time before. Sokka went slowly, gently, in control this time. Their hands stayed twined together. Zuko floated a hand onto Sokka’s hip. There were muscles there too, under his soft cotton shirt. Sokka tipped Zuko’s head back to deepen the kiss. He pressed in once, sending tingles down to Zuko’s toes, then pulled away. Only an inch away. 

Zuko finished his sentence breathlessly “- computers?”

Sokka laughed and bumped his nose into Zuko’s. It was a simple gesture, but it felt so intimate, like they were the only ones in the world.

“Yeah, these are my hotman crocs.”

The kitchen door swung open with a creak. In the tight room, there was no space to jump back so Zuko didn’t bother. Iroh took in Sokka’s hand on Zuko’s face and Zuko’s hand on Sokka’s hip. He grinned at Zuko, “I’ll come back in a minute. You know you can always go to your room.”

Sokka’s legs pressed against Zuko’s as he leaned back, laughing his head off.

“Your… uncle… AHAHA… just told us to get a room!”

Zuko blushed and knocked his boots together, “Yeah, I guess he did.”

Sokka got himself together, “Well? You gonna do that?”

“Come on, shark boy, let’s get out of here,” said Zuko, walking to the alley exit at the back of the kitchen.

“Does this make you my lava person?” asked Sokka behind him.

“Sure.”

They stepped out of the Jasmine Dragon and into the twilight of the city, hand in hand. 

*********

Sokka wiped a line of sweat off his forehead with the edge of his shirt. It was the last lab before the presentation. He and Zuko had worked quietly side by side, trying to put their project together before the time ran out.

Sokka had to run back and forth from the mechanics workshop next door to use the welder. It was coming together, piece by piece, but they still had to turn it on to see if it would catch on fire again. Sokka mostly hoped it wouldn’t catch on fire, for the sake of their grades. Zuko with wet hair and a thin shirt clinging to his chest had been nice to have around though.

The lab was mostly empty. Haru sat at the front playing on his phone and one other group in the opposite corner rushed to finish. Aang and Katara had finished at the beginning of the lab, some kind of winged contraption. Sokka thought his and Zuko’s robot was much cooler. 

“Okay I got the right glue for the circuit board this time,” Zuko held up the extended claw for the top of the robot, “You ready?”

“Hell yeah, man” said Sokka. He took the claw from Zuko and placed it onto the top of their crawling robot. It fit perfectly.

Sokka jogged the whole thing to the welding station in the other room. He sparked up the welder and circled the base of the claw. He was pretty sure Haru was supposed to be supervising him. Although, he had seen Haru swiping through profiles on tinder. Unlikely he would find Sokka’s shaky-at-best welding more interesting. 

He jogged the finished robot back to the lab room. The other lab group had left. Zuko raised an eyebrow at Sokka as he scooped up the fire extinguisher on the way to their lab bench.

“Safety first, hotman.” 

“Did you, or did you not, use the face shield with the welder?”

“No comment.”

They set up the robot with a destination and a thing to grab. In this case it was Sokka’s water bottle on the lab bench shelf. 

“Here we go,” said Sokka. He turned on the robot. 

There was a whirring noise. The robot took a step. Then another step. 

“YEAH!”

“Hold on we’re not through yet.”

The robot reached for the water bottle with the claw. It closed around the bottle. Zuko let out a huge breath. Sokka slung an arm behind his neck. It was for comradery, but also Zuko smelled nice and Sokka liked the feeling of him under his arm.

The robot picked up the bottle and walked backwards until it stood at the original spot. It dropped the bottle.

“Oh thank god,” said Zuko.

“We are god now!” Sokka practically shouted. Zuko put a hand on his chest, probably to lightly suggest he chill out. Sokka looked over at Zuko in surprise.

Zuko’s amber eyes flicked around the room, calculating something. The only person there was Haru, staring into his phone like it held the secrets of the universe. Or someone sent him a joke and he was looking up a pun to reply with. Zuko’s eyes flicked back up to Sokka’s. His breath caught in his throat. Zuko was really so so beautiful. Zuko smirked. Sokka wasn’t sure what was coming next until it was happening.

Zuko twisted, pushing Sokka against the lab bench. Sokka’s arm slid until it was looped behind Zuko’s neck. He brought his other arm up to join it. He felt Zuko’s pulse against his forearms. It was faster than Sokka would have thought it would be. Zuko looked steady like this, in his arms.

Zuko swayed forward. Sokka didn’t stop him, why the hell would he do that? Then Zuko’s lips landed warm against Sokka’s mouth. Zuko nibbled on his bottom lip and Sokka’s knees went a bit jelly.

“Um, hey, guys, uh… can you take it outside…?”

Zuko slid away, leaving a cold spot on Sokka’s chest. Haru still sat on the stool at the front of the room, face bright red, gaze firmly on the ceiling. Sokka wanted to die a little bit.

“Sorry Haru, we were just overcome with the excitement of Mechanics II, you know?” said Sokka, packing his backpack. Zuko carefully placed their robot in the cupboard below their lab bench. 

Haru still looked at the ceiling like his innocence had been ruined, “Okay, whatever, just keep the ‘excitement’ professional.”

“Sorry,” said Zuko, sounding not sorry. The two walked out of the room without another word to poor Haru. 

Once they were in the hall, Sokka looked over at Zuko. Zuko was giving him the same sheepish look out of the side of his eye. They burst out laughing. The sound echoed through the empty halls.


	10. Boiling Rock

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sokka gears up for Boiling Rock. Toph gears up harder.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Heeyyy, it's almost done!
> 
> Thank you for all your comments, they've got me cackling.
> 
> Drop a comment for Sokka's final croc colour and jibbitz situation!

Sokka couldn’t sleep.

He got this way sometimes, the day before something big. When he was small, he could never sleep the night before a camping trip with his dad. He hadn’t slept before his first university exam either. His thoughts had a way of building and spinning out of control.

This was a bit like that. He really wanted the project to go well so that Zuko could be happy and want to talk to him again. He knew it wasn’t all that rational, but he attached the success of the project to Zuko’s desire to be around him. He liked to make things work. He wanted to make this thing with Zuko work. He wanted to look into his golden eyes, one set in red, and smile back forever.

Woah. That was like, deep and shit.

Sokka twisted in his sheets and picked up his phone. The phone screen glared in the darkness. Three in the morning. He would have to wake up in four hours. That was a full night’s sleep, right?

He opened Candy Crush and played until he ran out of lives. Usually he fell into a meditative state and could find his way to sleep a bit better. As soon as he exited the app, his thoughts were back, pacing in his mind back and forth. 

What if Zuko’s shitty dad made them stop seeing each other? What if Zuko got a summer job in Saskatchewan and they never saw each other again? What if Momo bit him on the way to the presentation and he had to get a rabies shot and he missed the whole thing?

Sokka groaned and rubbed his eyes. He was such a mess.

In his family, they were big on communication. His dad, Hakoda, always said it was better to have it out then let any problem cause more pain then it was worth. That’s why Sokka’s thumb hovered over Zuko’s contact information. Zuko left his phone on silent anyway. What’s the harm?

He hit dial. 

It rang once, twice. Sokka hoped it went to voicemail. Sokka hoped he picked up.

“Uhmmmff, henlo?” Zuko’s voice was slurry from sleep. Sokka suddenly felt weird about calling him in the middle of the night. 

“Hey, um, sorry to wake you, it was an accident,” Sokka said quickly. 

There was a rustle of sheets through the phone, “No, Sokka, what’s up?” Zuko’s voice was more alert.

“Well, uh, how are you?”

“Are you serious?”

“No.”

Zuko let out a long breath on the other side of the line, “Sokka are you okay? You can come here if you’re in trouble, or I can come get you.”

The image of Zuko breaking into his apartment to rescue him made him smile. Katara would smack Zuko with a broom so fast.

“I’m not in trouble.”

“Are you okay?” Zuko’s voice was kind of soft and gentle. It reminded Sokka of how gentle his hands had been on his hips.

“No.”

The other end of the line was quiet for a moment. Zuko waited patiently for Sokka to get himself figured out. Sokka could hear him breathing through the speaker. Communication, he could do this. Sokka felt a bit shy, but he steeled himself anyway.

“I’m scared. I’m scared that if the project goes badly, you’re going to stop talking to me. I’m scared that you’re going to leave and never come back after tomorrow. I’m scared that I like you so much I couldn’t handle it if you went away. Okay that sounded kind of manipulative and gross, of course you can do what you want. But I just. I just really want to be with you,” Sokka finished quietly. At the last bit, he heard Zuko breathe in sharply.

“Sokka.”

“Yeah?”

“I’m not going to go anywhere unless you tell me to.”

“Dude, that’s like, gay.”

“I’m hanging up.”

“No, no, sorry! I’m glad you wanna stick around. My first girlfriend left to Europe and never came back. Fully ghosted.”

“That’s rough, buddy.”

Sokka was pretty sure heart shapes would replace his pupils. Zuko called him buddy. Sokka tried not to giggle.

“I’m serious though Sokka. You don’t need to be worried about any of that. I want to be around you, even if you turn into a stressed out monster during exams. Even if we fail-”

“Don’t say the f-word!”

“-even then, it doesn’t matter.”

“Really?”

“I made out with you during lab hours in front of our TA. There’s no going back now.”

“You just had to go make it horny, huh buddy?”

“Jesus Christ.”

“Just sayin’!”

“Go to sleep Sokka. We have to get set up in five hours.”

“Will you sing me a lullaby? Maybe Crazy Frog?”

“No.”

“Goddamn.”

“Goodnight, Sokka.”

“Nighty night, hotman, don’t let the existential dread bite!”

Zuko ended the call. Sokka realized he had been smiling so hard his cheeks hurt. Maybe sleep wouldn’t come easy. He felt so happy that it almost didn’t matter.

**********

**Mai**

**Mai:** where are you guys set up?

**Zuko:** in front of room 204, u?

**Mai:** 220

**Zuko:** you ready? 

**Mai:** ye

**Mai:** toph just came in with a fog machine 

**Zuko:** are those strobe lights down the hall?

**Mai:** those are strobe lights

**Zuko:** she can’t even see them?

**Mai:** i stopped asking after our first lab

**Mai:** her dog passed her wrenches

**Zuko:** good luck

**Mai:** u 2

Zuko set up their poster on the provided stand and inspected the robot for the hundredth time. He had other classes and other assignments, let alone posting as Blue in the engineering forum, but this felt more important. Professor Bumi really did make the final project worth half their grade. Zuko hated that trend in the engineering department. What if you had a bad day, or missed the bus, or performed poorly under pressure?

“Shit, sorry dude!” said Sokka, jogging up to the table. His cheeks were a bit red and he was breathing hard.

“You’re not late,” said Zuko, “Did you run here?”

Sokka nodded and came around their presentation table to stand next to Zuko. He clapped Zuko on the shoulder once, but his smile was that soft one, just for them.

“Yeah, man, I took a while getting dressed.”

“But you wear the same thing every day.”

“Ugh! No, I wear the same type of thing every day. It takes effort to look this casual.”

“Was it the croc jibbitz.”

“It was the croc jibbitz.”

The crocs in question were navy blue with a calculator, a fire, and a cartoon robot. Zuko supposed they were on theme. He, himself, was wearing black jeans without rips and a black button down shirt. Uncle suggested a turtleneck, but Zuko was not interested in Steve Jobs jokes all day. 

“Here, I’ll stay with the table and you can check out everyone else’s and tell me who’s gonna win,” suggested Sokka. Zuko gave him a sideways look.

“It’s not a competition.”

Sokka grinned and winked, stirring up butterflies in Zuko’s belly, “Everything is a competition.”

Zuko shrugged. He was kind of curious to see what everyone else had going on. He walked down the hall. Presentations lined one side of the hall with tables and poster boards outlining the construction and design. He stayed near the opposite wall and walked with purpose, not really interested in chatting with everyone with such anxiety and anticipation in the air. 

The first table he saw was Suki’s. Apparently Bumi had allowed her to work on her own. She had an inflatable raft with some kind of pulley system. It looked pretty well done actually. She waved as he went past and he waved back. 

He found Aang and Katara next. Katara was carefully adjusting the wings on their small projectile with a hook. Aang juggled a fidget spinner, somehow keeping it spinning the whole time. Neither of them saw him go by. 

Mai and Toph were at the end of the hall. The strobe lights weren’t going, probably waiting for the presentation to pull out the stops. Both of them wore aviator sun glasses and had matching all black suits. Zuko decided to take a closer look. When he approached, Mai looked up from her computer on the table.

“Last minute adjustments?” asked Zuko.

“You wish,” said Toph. He noticed Appa obediently sitting behind the table. Mai didn’t look up from her computer.

“Programming the lights with the progress of the tank,” said Mai. Sure enough, there robot appeared to be a miniature tank on a tread with two arms on the top. Zuko wasn’t surprised to see that he and Mai had gone for a similar concept.

“Looks solid,” he said.

“It’s a beast,” said Toph proudly, “I bet it gets top time too, Mai hooked it up with mad horsepower.”

Zuko did not know why they needed horsepower to go a metre. Mai had said not to ask questions so he did not.

“Good luck,” he said instead.

“Thanks, hotman,” said Toph. Mai waved a hand, continuing to type with the other.

Zuko wandered the rest of the hall. Most students had gone for some kind of robot. He noticed Jet had a slingshot contraption with a tow line. Zuko had no clue how that was going to work out. 

It was almost time to start. He headed back towards his spot. Professor Bumi was going to walk down the hall pushing a cart with the model scenario. There would be boiling water around a mound of sand with a stick person made out of popsicles. Zuko heard through Suki a rumour that the army of TA’s would be running back and forth from the student lounge with kettles of boiling water. It sounded like a gongshow from start to finish. It sounded like Professor Bumi wanted it that way. 

When he got to his table, Sokka was nervously rolling his shoulders. He looked good today. His shiny brown hair was neatly contained in a topknot and his skin glowed, even with the lack of sleep. Zuko brushed their hands together. Sokka stopped rolling his shoulders and smiled sheepishly.

“Warming up for the big game?” asked Zuko, sarcastic. Sokka laughed. 

“It helps me chill out.” 

“Then by all means, go ahead.”

He meant it as a joke, but Sokka did actually start lunging behind the table. Zuko laughed outright when Sokka’s joints cracked loudly. 

The telltale squeal of cart wheels sounded from the end of the hall. Bumi had begun the presentations. 

“So, Zuzu, this is your little toy,” a lilting voice said. And there she was, Azula, wearing a blazer and a cold smirk. Sokka stopped lunging, standing straight. Zuko sighed.

“Hey Azula.”

She crossed her arms, “You know, dad’s real mad about you leaving. When you come crawling back for your money, you’ve got a storm coming.”

Zuko felt Sokka tense up beside him, but he tried to let her words melt away, “Okay.”

She huffed, “And is this the jockstrap Ty Lee told me about? Easy on the eyes I guess. He could do better.”

Zuko wished she would combust. Sokka crossed his arms, “Uh, no, no he could not. He is good with Zuko, thank you.”

Azula winked at Sokka. Zuko bristled, “Get lost Azula, don’t you have a middle class to oppress or something?”

Down the hall, there was a hiss and a flash of light. Mai and Toph were up. Zuko wanted to see the routine Mai had hinted at, but he had a more pressing issue at the moment.

“You know I’m not coming back,” he said flatly. Azula tossed her hair.

“Of course you are. You can’t do this starving student routine forever. You’re not cut out for it, we’re meant for bigger things,” she said it kind of like they were in something together, Zuko didn’t believe it for a second. She turned her gaze on Sokka, “And besides, you need to be with your own people.”

“I thought I was easy on the eyes!” Sokka said indignantly, “What happened to that?”

“Leave it Sokka, she’s just trying to rile me up,” Zuko muttered out of the corner of his mouth.

“Seriously, though Zuzu. You can’t honestly expect dad to let you settle into your disgrace of the family like this. You might be a waste of space, but you could at least have the decency to keep to yourself.”

He clenched his fists. She said it like the thought of Zuko having anyone close to him was repulsive, like he didn’t deserve to be okay if he didn’t put up with their father’s bullshit. He knew it wasn’t her fault. He knew that she grew up like him, pitted against each other from the moment they could walk. Knowing she couldn’t help it didn’t stop the rage from boiling over. 

“Okay Azula,” he spat, “You tell yourself what you need to. Go back to those fake friends who use you for your money and tell yourself what you need to when they leave again. I won’t be there to cover for you this time.”

It was a low blow. She could never hold a friend for more than a weekend, too acidic, too sharp, just like him. The only time the siblings got along was when she had been devastated by the next betrayal and he had tried to comfort her with midnight snacks and trips to the lake. When he knew she needed to hide her sadness away. The glare she gave him was hard as nails. 

He really thought she was going to lash out with something worse, something more awful. Instead, she reached into her mouth and pulled out her chewing gum. Smirking, she pressed it to the underside of their robot, right where the leg joint met the body.

“Hey! What the hell?” shouted Sokka. Azula smiled cruelly.

“Toodles, Zuzu.”

She walked away, cutting through the crowd of TA’s jogging with boiling water. 

“Oh shit,” said Sokka, “We’re next.”

The group before them had just placed their boat contraption in the water. They had maybe three minutes. In sync, Sokka and Zuko flipped their robot over. The gum was jammed in the joint of the front left leg. Sokka started pulling at it.

“It’s fine, it’s fine! We can get this out! No biggie!” the false optimism in Sokka’s voice was strained. Zuko got a tissue from his bag and tried to wipe as much gum as he could away. A bit had gone through the joint into the case of the robot. Zuko hoped the circuitry would be okay. 

The cart wheels squealed up beside them. 

“What do we have here?” Professor Bumi said. Zuko and Sokka shared a panicked look. Zuko put the robot upright.

Sokka launched into their introduction, “Well, sir, we have created a tetrapod crawler. It’s got pressure sensors in the clamp touch point and two dimensional movement.”

Sokka and Zuko traded off speaking about their construction process. Zuko had to work to keep from mumbling. Sokka spoke faster than they’d rehearsed. Zuko didn’t blame him, they were in a shakier position than they’d thought they would be. 

“Sounds very exciting,” Bumi rubbed his hands together, grey hair sticking sideways, “Let’s give it a try.”

Zuko took a breath and picked up their robot. He placed it gingerly on the ‘shore’ of the model lake. The heat from the water left moisture on his wrists. Sokka turned the on switch on the head of their robot.

The robot whirred. It took a step into the water. Zuko’s heart pounded. The robot waded through the boiling water towards the mound of sand in the middle. The popsicle stick person had a frightened expression, drawn on with a sharpie. 

He heard Sokka muttering under his breath, “Go, go, go, go.”

Zuko stepped a bit closer to press his shoulder into Sokka’s, hoping to offer some comfort. The robot stopped walking. The claw extended. It closed around the stick person. It lifted. Oh thank god. 

The robot started backpedaling. It took one step, another step. A spark flashed in the front left leg. The robot took another step. The front left leg didn’t go with it. The blood drained from Zuko’s face. In slow motion, the robot careened sideways. It landed with a soft sploosh, claw knocking against the side of the model container. The lower half of the robot slipped down the side of the embankment, submerged in the water. A few bubbles escaped from the casing. 

“Aw man,” said Sokka.

Zuko stepped back, eyes wide. They failed. Their design failed. His childish argument with Azula had just cost Sokka half his grade. 

“That’s a bit of a twist,” said Bumi. He frowned. Sokka reached into the container and picked up the robot. 

Zuko stepped around the table in a daze. It had finally happened. Uncle Iroh always warned him that his temper would cause him more hurt than those he aimed to hurt. Well in this case, he’d hurt Sokka too. Let alone the fact that he'd have to redo the courses and spend more time in school and have to pay for another semester somehow.

“Zuko! Hold up a minute! We can’t leave yet, man!” Sokka called after him. 

Zuko felt like he was going to cry in front of all his classmates. Even when he tried to get away from his family, he couldn’t do anything right, couldn’t keep anything good. He turned a corner and ducked into an empty workshop. He walked a few steps into the dark room and sank to the ground, leaning against a cabinet. 

The tears didn’t come. He felt like he was going to be sick. He breathed shakily, in and out. Light splashed against the back wall and dimmed again as someone opened the door.

“Hey, Zuko?” it was Mai. 

“Yeah?” his voice was choked and raw. He pressed his palms into his eyes. The rough skin on the left side didn’t make him mad, just a bit more wounded. 

A light hand rested on his shoulder. Mai usually didn’t touch him. They weren’t really friends like that. But, Zuko guessed, they were now.

“It wasn’t your fault,” she said, “I saw you guys trying to get the gum out.”

“It was completely my fault,” Zuko said with a bit more bite than Mai deserved, “We failed because I’m a ragey asshole.”

Mai gently cuffed him over the back of the head. Zuko pulled his hands away from his eyes. She had one eyebrow up under her bangs.

“Don’t be dumb. As someone who knows Azula, she might have done that to a random stranger for fun.”

“And profit,” Zuko muttered. The room filled with light again as the door swung open. It was Appa. Or really it was Appa followed by Toph.

She poked her head in. 

"Hey Toph, we're in here," said Mai. Toph didn't come into the room, but spoke from the door,

"Hotman, your boy is arguing his way out of a fail. You can stay here if you want, or you can get your butt out there and help.” 

Toph, apparently satisfied with that speech, ducked back out of the room.

Zuko nodded, “Okay, yeah.”

Mai pushed up to her feet and gave Zuko a flat look. He knew whatever she said next would be dry and sarcastic.

“Go get 'em, champ.”


	11. Public Display of Asskissery

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Teamwork makes the dream work. Sokka hosts a funeral.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A short chapter, but it does the trick.  
> It has been super fun to write and all of your comments are the reason it's made it this far at all!  
> 

**Gaang**

**Snoozles:** sos

 **Sugar Queen:** What is it Sokka, are you okay?

 **Melon Lorde:** mai disappeared, what happened

 **Snoozles:** zuko’s agro sister fucked our presentation, come help me con a C outta this

 **Wareeyore:** omw 

**Twinkletoes:** (ง ͠° ͟ل͜ ͡°)ง

 **Twinkletoes:** we’re gonna fix it dw!

 **Melon Lorde:** where’s hotman

 **Snoozles:** idk

 **Sugar Queen:** I’ll talk to Haru. Aang, can you talk to Professor Bumi?

 **Twinkletoes:** Ya!

“Okay, but professor, you have to admit, they did technically deliver the prisoner from the island to the shore safely,” Suki said. She had just arrived after Sokka texted the group. He could talk his way out of most things, but with Zuko’s grade on the line, he wanted some backup.

Bumi stroked his chin, “I suppose that was the aim of the assignment. The design itself seemed to malfunction, even though our prisoner escaped safely.”

Sokka knew it wasn’t the time, but the stick person assignment being a prison break was objectively hilarious in an academic setting. This would be a good story to tell in a week. Right now, though, it was stressful as hell. 

“Okay, but our design was, like, perfect. We just got sabotaged with some gum, look,” Sokka pointed to the clogged joint for the hundredth time in the last five minutes. The look of defeat on Zuko’s face had made Sokka’s heart sink. He could handle a bit of rough and tumble, what was an engineering degree without rubric-marked-chaos anyway? But he really wanted to get through it together. With Zuko.

Aang ran up to the table with his phone outstretched, Haru and Katara hot on his heels, “Professor Bumi, Professor Bumi! I can prove what happened!”

“I can vouch for them, they got it done in the lab and their design completed the task fine,” said Haru. He wouldn’t meet Sokka’s eyes, but Sokka didn’t blame him. They had got other stuff done in the lab too.

Professor Bumi smiled indulgently at Aang and watched the video on the phone. Sokka could see from the side. It was a video of Katara testing their flying contraption. It zoomed in on Katara’s face as she smiled watching their design fly through the air. In the background, the video showed Azula and Zuko yelling at each other and Azula putting the gum on their robot. Sokka was grateful Aang was willing to expose his super huge crush on his sister in front of the professor. Sokka would have big second hand embarrassment for Aang in like fifteen minutes when this was over. 

“Do you have a video of the design completing the task?” Bumi asked. Sokka’s shoulders slumped. All he had were photos of the construction process.

“I do.”

It was Zuko. Mai stood at his side, Toph following with Appa. He came back! Sokka wanted to tackle him in a bear hug. 

Zuko held up his phone for them to see. The video was shaky, a bit blurry. It was before Sokka had arrived that morning. The robot did a practice run, picking up an upright binder, and walking back to release on the other side of the table without a glitch.

“Ah, I see!” said Bumi. He scribbled something down on his clipboard and handed the scrap paper to a TA behind him, “You pass, let’s say sixty five for all the excitement!”

With a nod of his wild hair, Bumi pushed the cart to the next table.

“Thank you Professor Bumi,” Aang called after him with a wave.

“Woo!” Sokka cheered. He yanked Zuko towards him and crushed him in a tight hug.

“I’m sorry I ran,” said Zuko against his ear, “I lost my cool.”

Sokka gave him a loud kiss on the cheek, right under his scar, “Nah, dude. You came back and we passed because we rock. You’re good. Everything is gonna be good.”

Zuko looked into his eyes, searching. Sokka smiled warmly as a reflex. Zuko seemed to find what he was looking for and smiled back.

“If you guys are done with the Public Display of Asskissery, let’s dip,” said Toph, “I want cheeky nandos with the lads.”

Toph insisted on calling lunch at the university cafeteria ‘cheeky nandos with the lads’ even though most of the group were girls. Sokka thought that if anyone was a lad in the cultural sense of the word, it would be Toph and Suki. Sokka was happy to drag Zuko along too. The group dispersed back to clean up their tables. Katara and Aang still had to present their design. 

“Hey,” Sokka said as he took down their posterboard. That poster board had taken them about thirty minutes and a lot of stick glue to construct. Sokka vaguely remembered challenging Zuko to see who could cut the straightest. He thought it was a fantastic joke. Zuko had blushed, but in the end, he did make cleaner cuts than Sokka.

“Yeah?” asked Zuko.

“Can we give Robby a viking funeral?”

Zuko narrowed his eyes. Sokka was touched that he already had a ‘Sokka’s back on his bullshit’ look. Only his closest friends and his dad had that look. “Who’s Robby?”

Sokka mock gasped, “Our precious robot child! Our little guy!”

“You named the robot Robby?”

“Of course I named the robot Robby!”

Zuko was quiet for a moment, considering the black, orange, and blue robot.

“We should do it in the university fountain. You guys still have that engineering club sign, right?”

“Ten out of ten idea. We can share the title of idea man.”

“I thought I was hotman?”

“You know what? You’re totally right, I take it back.”

************

Robby’s funeral was a somber affair. And by somber, Zuko meant that Appa had on a black doggy bowtie, Mai had produced a mourning veil from her backpack that she just ‘had lying around’, and Sokka wore light blue crocs with the laughing-crying emoji jibbitz.

“What?” Sokka had said when they met up at his apartment, “The tears represent our sadness and the laughing is for the good times we had together.”

“Sokka, we set it on fire, then my sister put gum in it, then we put it in boiling water.”

“And I will hold those memories close to my heart.”

Zuko had been laughing when he pulled Sokka in for a gentle kiss. Suki had hollered and whistled at them from the kitchen. Aang had looked a bit embarrassed to be there.

Beside the fountain, Suki propped up the engineering club sign. Someone had drawn little roses on the sides. Students rushed by, on their way home or going to their evening classes. 

Sokka laid down the mini canoe in the water. Zuko was both fascinated and totally unsurprised to learn that Sokka made canoes as a hobby. Sokka had promised to “show him some of his best work” over the summer and waggled his eyebrows. Zuko had never had a cottage experience, only visited estates on tropical islands, so he was kind of looking forward to it. 

Suki laid down the robot in the middle of the canoe and Aang stuffed the sides with his exam notes. Zuko was a bit freaked out by that move, considering the exams hadn’t happened yet. Aang seemed unbothered so Zuko didn’t say anything. 

Then it was his part. He produced a red lighter from his jacket pocket and held the flame close to Aang’s notes. They caught fire, browning and shrinking in on themselves. Sokka tucked closer to Zuko’s side and together they pushed the canoe out into the fountain.

It was weird and a bit beautiful to see the flames flicker against the sides of their robot and reflect in the still water. Aang produced a recorder and proceeded to play the worst rendition of ‘Amazing Grace’ Zuko had ever heard. Some students gathered around the fountain to see what was on fire. Zuko hoped no one called the fire department again.

They watched until the flames ate away the edges of the canoe and snuffled out in the water. At some point, Sokka had taken his hand. Zuko gave it a squeeze and Sokka squeezed back. 

“May our sweet summer child rest in peace,” said Sokka. Zuko did not point out that it wasn’t sweet, wasn’t summer, and wasn’t a child. 

“I’ll drink to that,” said Toph, taking a swig out of a monster energy drink. Zuko admired her courage and bravery, drinking that much caffeine at seven pm. 

“Hey, lava boy,” Sokka said to Zuko as they walked back to Sokka’s apartment for a ‘remembrance party’ where they were really just going to drink and watch Wall-E.

“What?” said Zuko. They walked close together, close enough that someone behind them wouldn’t be able to tell if Sokka’s hand was really under the back of Zuko’s jacket. (It totally was). 

“Do you wanna watch our frisbee game tomorrow? We’re playing the commerce team and it would be, like, cathartic and stuff to watch us beat them.”

Zuko looked over at him, something close to love swelling in his chest, “Only if we can make out at halftime.”

Sokka’s grin was wide and wolfish, “Deal.”

**********

**Gaang**

**Sugar Queen:** Anyone see Sokka? We’re starting in ten and I can’t find him anywhere.

 **Melon Lorde:** ┬┴┬┴┤ ͜ʖ ͡°) ├┬┴┬┴

 **Wareeyore:** ┬┴┬┴┤ ͜ʖ ͡°) ├┬┴┬┴

 **Sugar Queen:** That’s not helpful.

 **Twinkletoes:** I’ll go check the other side of the field

 **Sugar Queen:** Thanks Aang!

 **Twinkletoes:** ♥‿♥

 **Twinkletoes:** I see him!

 **Twinkletoes:** ◉_◉

 **Sugar Queen:** Where is he?

 **Twinkletoes:** …

 **Melon Lorde:** I can hear screaming wats the tea?

 **Wareeyore:** he went to go make out with zuko in the bushes behind the field but that’s where momo lives and aang startled them so momo attacked and now sokka’s running around the field with momo on his head

 **Melon Lorde:** lol

 **Wareeyore:** now zuko's trying to pull momo off but the raccoon has sokka's ponytail in a death grip

 **Melon Lorde:** take pics pls

 **Sugar Queen:** Why not an audio recording? So you can hear it?

 **Wareeyore:** worse for blackmail or wedding slideshows

 **Melon Lorde:** ̿̿ ̿̿ ̿̿ ̿'̿'\̵͇̿̿\з= ( ▀ ͜͞ʖ▀) =ε/̵͇̿̿/’̿’̿ ̿ ̿̿ ̿̿ ̿̿

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If anyone has artistic skills and wants to depict the messy wedding slideshow I would not stop you.
> 
> ｡◕‿◕｡


	12. Bonus: Academic Misconduct is Better Together

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Blue helps Sokka with his quiz. The Gaang are exposed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Originally I was going to leave Blue to his devices, supporting the university of *redacted* engineering students from a distance.
> 
> But the potential for disaster was just too tempting!
> 
> Enjoy the third person stress of online math quizzes when you don't understand the material in this bonus kind of not really epilogue.
> 
> Thanks for coming along!
> 
> -mylevelance

_Six months later_

Sokka scrolled frantically through the engineering facebook group. Why wasn’t there an upload for this week’s applied differential equations quiz? Blue usually had quiz answers and practice solutions up by Thursday night.

Halloween was just around the corner and Sokka had spent most of his free time this week dragging Zuko to the pumpkin patch with the corn maze at the edge of town and hyping Katara up for her death week of back to back midterms. He had a bunch of midterms coming up too, but they were later in November so he was only kind of studying for them at this point. He had totally left the quiz on the back burner and so here he was, once again, racing against the quiz timer. 

It wasn’t that he was bad at differential equations because he didn’t like math. He could handle a bit of math, it came with the engineering territory. This didn’t really feel like math though. This felt like mental acrobatics with numbers and letters and Greek in a way that just didn’t click with his brain. It was really difficult for him to keep the methods and formulas in this course straight. Hahaha. Fuck. 

**Gaang**

**Snoozles:** heeyyyyyy…

 **Sugar Queen:** What do you need Sokka? If it’s about the ramen, no you cannot put hot water in the plastic wrapper even if it is “faster that way”.

 **Snoozles:** who said i need anything?? can’t i just say hello to my very intelligent peers

 **Melon Lorde:** lol bet he’s doing the differentials quiz now, i got absolutely shreked by that quiz. rest in pieces

 **Snoozles:** … 

**Twinkletoes:** it wasn’t that bad! you just have to use the theory from the textbook appendix!

 **Wareeyore:** aang you don’t even own the textbook, how did you figure that out

 **Twinkletoes:** ¯\\_(ツ)_/¯

 **Snoozles:** that doesn’t help me noooowww, i have like 15 minutes left

 **Wareeyore:** srry king, im still in my kioshi student union meeting

 **Twinkletoes:** Sorry Sokka! I have volleyball practice, I can send you the answers after?!

 **Snoozles:** since when are u on the volleyball team, ur like 4ft nothing

 **Twinkletoes:** ᕙ(⇀‸↼‶)ᕗ

 **Twinkletoes:** I am Big Strong! (they recruited me yesterday bc the coach saw me jumping around at the last ult game)

 **Sugar Queen:** is Zuko there?

 **Snoozles:** he just finished work so not yet, y?

 **Sugar Queen:** I’ll text him.

 **Snoozles:** SHIT I HAVE 12 MIN LEFT BYE

*******

**Sokka’s Boyfriend**

**Sokka’s Sister:** Hey Zuko can you go to the library rn?

 **Sokka’s Boyfriend:** im almost there anyway, what’s up?

 **Sokka’s Sister:** He’s about to fail the differentials quiz and his grade in that class is already... stressful.

 **Sokka’s Boyfriend:** gd, how do you know?

 **Sokka’s Sister:** Let’s just say I have a sixth sense for “haha I failed XD but actually got a B” Sokka and “phonecall to dad at 3pm” Sokka. He’s giving “phonecall to dad at 3pm” vibes. 

**Sokka’s Boyfriend:** what floor?

 **Sokka’s Sister:** 4th

Sokka was debating choosing C for every question just to get at least 25% on the quiz when a hand slid across his upper back and a head leaned over his shoulder. He recognized who it was right away. He’d know the feeling of those hands on him anytime, they’d been there often enough. And other places. Aaaand he was so not going to Hornyland, Population: 1 right now.

“Okay so here’s what we’re gonna do,” Zuko said seriously, amber eyes scanning across the laptop screen.

“What happened to hello? How are you? What happened to that?” Sokka said in mock offense. 

Zuko rolled his eyes and gave Sokka’s traps a quick squeeze, “Hello Sokka. Do you want to ask about my work shift and the weather too, or save your ass, academically,” he amended quickly before Sokka could comment on his ass. The timer was below five minutes now.

Sokka didn’t hesitate, “Save ass please.”

“So here’s what we’re gonna do,” Zuko restarted, “I’m gonna freeze the quiz timer with some academic misconduct grey area and we’re gonna go through each question and solve it properly.”

“You’re so hot when you commit crimes,” said Sokka smiling dreamily at Zuko. 

Zuko sighed as he dragged a chair next to Sokka, “Pass me the computer.”

Sokka slid his laptop over to Zuko quickly. Zuko got to work right away, fingers pressing the keys on the keyboard with more force than necessary. Sokka used to think all computer engineers did that, until Mai joined their group study sessions. She typed normally, it just turned out that Zuko liked the clicking noise and had the leftover habit from raging on League of Legends in middle school. He was such a weirdo sometimes. Sokka loved him so much. 

“Okay it’ll stay at at three minutes until we refresh the page. Let’s start at the first one.”

Zuko passed the laptop back. Sokka shuffled through the scrap paper on the table to his rough work for that question. The math made so much more sense. Zuko didn’t tell him the answers or do the calculations for him. Instead, he simply pointed out how the formulas interacted and interchanged. Applied differential equations was still garbage as far as Sokka was concerned, but by the time he refreshed the page to hit submit, he felt like it had at least some logical sense behind it. 

Sokka leaned back in his chair, stretching his arms over his head. His spine cracked twice. He caught Zuko glancing at the exposed skin of his stomach and winked. Zuko blushed and quickly turned back to the screen.

“It loaded,” Zuko said. Sokka squinted at the number on the screen, rubbed his eyes, and squinted at it again. 

“Are those two zeros or just one?” Sokka asked. Ten percent felt more in the ballpark of what he had been expecting when he started.

“Two zeros,” said Zuko quietly. He smiled with half of his mouth at Sokka, looking wry. Sokka’s eyes felt like tennis balls with how wide they went.

“Bruh…”

“It’s only worth five percent of your grade so it won’t make a huge difference overall,” Zuko reminded him.

“Still,” Sokka punched the mark into his grade calculator spreadsheet, pleased to see his average in that course bump up, “Blue didn’t post this week and I would have totally wiped out without a bit of help.”

Sokka had talked about the anonymous tutor before, he didn’t bother explaining his reliance on Blue for making sense of some of the more obscure lecture notes and hidden tricks in the math.

Zuko’s smile settled into a flat line and his eyebrow pulled down.

“Yeah, sorry. I had to cover some of Jin’s shifts at the tea shop and I didn’t get around to it…”

Zuko trailed off. He blinked, apparently realizing what he’d said. But the gears were already turning in Sokka’s head. His eyes snapped down to the scrap paper where Zuko’s writing darted around Sokka’s scrawled calculations. Out of context he might not have recognized it, but now the similarity was clear. 

“Why would… No, then you’d… DUDE!” Sokka exclaimed, ignoring the dirty looks from other students around them in the library. He turned his whole chair to face Zuko, banging his elbow on the table in the process. The tips of Zuko’s ears were going red. 

Zuko was Blue. Blue whose weekly lecture recaps on the facebook forum Sokka read religiously since first year. Blue who had a kind and clear way of explaining things. Was Zuko. Zuko who was only ever cocky when it came to school and shy with everything else. Zuko who worked so hard at everything and still made room for Sokka from 3am nervous rambles to 3pm shenanigans in the tea shop. 

“It’s not a big deal,” said Zuko. Sokka’s throat made an involuntary “uh” noise until he could think of a coherent sentence. The first thing that came to mind was,

“I can’t believe I already kissed you!”

Zuko’s mouth popped open, “What?”

“No, like, so Blue - you - carried me and Aang through all of the first semester generals. I swear the entire class of 2022 owes you their life and sanity. I said I was going to kiss whoever Blue was if I ever found out because you’ve come to my rescue like thousands of times at this point. Even Katara used your calc two notes, she swears she didn’t but I saw her print them out,” Sokka ran out of air so the last bit came out choked. 

“I just learn best by teaching,” said Zuko offhandedly, “I honestly thought you knew. Aang knows since I moved into his place in September. I think Katara knows too since she texted me to come help you out.”

“Betrayed by my family, by my kinsman,” Sokka said, shaking his head. Zuko put his hands up defensively.

“I didn’t mean to keep secrets from you, not really,” Zuko said. He seemed really serious and a bit pleading too. That’s not the point, thought Sokka. He could see Zuko beginning to beat himself up over it. Sokka grabbed the leg of Zuko’s chair and dragged it across the carpet until their thighs were touching. Sokka thought his orange crocs next to Zuko’s black docs looked kind of festive. 

“I’m not mad at you, not even a little bit,” said Sokka. He brushed a hand across Zuko’s cheek, pushing his black hair off his forehead. It had taken time in the beginning for Zuko to stop disagreeing with Sokka out loud when he said the scar was beautiful. It involved a lot of compliments and gentle touches, which Sokka really really didn’t mind supplying. “I think it’s fucking wild that I’m dating THE Blue, anyonymous tutor, hackerman supreme. This is really taking away from your edgelord brand you know?” Sokka said tenderly. 

Zuko chuckled self consciously, but leaned into Sokka’s hand anyway, “Sure.”

Sokka pulled away and tossed his laptop into his backpack carelessly, just to laugh at Zuko’s cringe from his disrespect of technology, “Now let’s go celebrate my stunning victory with a movie. I picked the perfect one.”

“I thought it was my turn to pick?”

“No you picked The Meg last week.”

“I thought you would like it! A shark eats another shark!”

“I didn’t say anything about the cinematic masterpiece of The Meg.”

“Fine, what are you going to pick?”

They walked shoulder to shoulder, fingertips brushing, an echo of so many walks from the library to Sokka’s apartment before. The red and yellow maple leaves crunched with each step. Sokka smiled widely as he spoke, knowing it would not go over well,

“Coraline.”

“You’re a menace, that movie is demonic. I had nightmares for a year in grade five.”

“We can make out during the scary parts.”

“That’s literally from the first scene to the last scene.”

“That is correct.”

“...oh. Oh.”

***********

 **Gaang**

**Snoozles:** okay which one of you lying ass fake ass headass

 **Wareeyore:** whats got your panties in a twist

 **Sugar Queen:** Don’t Answer That I Do Not Need To Know

 **Snoozles:** rat twofaced weasely pickleyass

 **Melon Lorde:** BITCH

 **Melon Lorde:** the anticipation was killing me

 **Snoozles:** was going to tell me that ZUKO my boyfriend, brotp, moon to my night sky

 **Wareeyore:** srry i don’t think you can use brotp like that (ᵔᴥᵔ)

 **Snoozles:** is also BLUE my celebrity crush, robinhood of the people, hottest mind of the year every year forever???

 **Wareeyore:** i also don’t think the facebook group student tutor can be your celebrity crush (ᵔᴥᵔ)

 **Snoozles:** DID YOU KNOW SUKI?????

**Wareeyore:** (¬‿¬) 

**Wareeyore:** Mai told me in exchange for the last systems analysis lab write up 

**Snoozles:** ༼ つ ಥ_ಥ ༽つ 

**Twinkletoes:** he is a really good tutor! big helpful energy! he helps me with the coding for my aerospace labs all the time! 

**Snoozles:** AANG THE NEXT TIME I SEE YOU IT’S ON SIGHT (ง ͠° ͟ل͜ ͡°)ง 

**Twinkletoes:** ⚆ _ ⚆ 

**Snoozles:** This is the biggest conspiracy of the 21st century!!!!! 

**Melon Lorde:** smh you can’t fight him you’ll have to catch him first 

**Snoozles:** tOPh Do nOT aang’s so fast... 

**Sugar Queen:** Hardly the biggest conspiracy of the 21st century, I would have to say pigeons as government surveillance or NASA releasing the data on the backwards alternate dimension would rank higher. 

**Snoozles:** Katara if you are home right now, no you aren’t you’re actually on your way to aang’s and taking your lies with you 

**Twinkletoes:** I love Space (ﾉ◕ヮ◕)ﾉ*:･ﾟ✧ ✧ﾟ･: *ヽ(◕ヮ◕ヽ) So cool! 

**Snoozles:** aisdibwb8e6rt23rubjb this atmosphere is toxic bye 

**Wareeyore:** ...I think he left 

**Sugar Queen:** Probably for the best. I think he’ll need to process for 2-5 business days 

**Twinkletoes:** what are the surveillance pigeons?!? 

**Sugar Queen:** I’ll send you the articles, it’s really quite frightening. 

**Twinkletoes:** Thanks Katara! (｡◕‿◕｡) 

**Melon Lorde:** short answer - the pigeons work for the bourgeoisie 

**Wareeyore:**... 

**Wareeyore:** i think it’s just us now tophie 

**Melon Lorde:** i will turn your bone marrow into cement, suckie 

**Wareeyore:** toph, my liege 

**Melon Lorde:** better 

**Melon Lorde:** odds sokka tries to give aang a noogie even though he doesn’t have any hair? 

**Wareeyore:** it’s that or gluing katara’s pens together to make “mega pen” like he did last halloween 

**Melon Lorde:** fair point 

**Melon Lorde:** ... suki? 

**Melon Lorde** : … 

**Melon Lorde:** ┬┴┬┴┤ヾ(⌐■_■)ノ♪ ├┬┴┬┴ 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And there you have it folks!
> 
> If you're looking for more of these two goons, I've got a modern soulmate au where their bond makes them run into each other but they are not very smart about it and a sci-fi au where they have a lot of weapons and a lot of brawls. Both are enemies to lovers and a bit angstier than this one. Still chaotic though, because that's my default setting.
> 
> Have a good day, good night, and especially a good hour before the sun comes up!
> 
> -mylevelance


End file.
